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Poems in Lyrics of Lowly Life, 1896

Ere Sleep Comes Down To Soothe The Weary Eyes.

The Poet and His Song

Retort

Accountability

Frederick Douglass

Life

The Lesson

The Rising of the Storm

Sunset

The Old Apple-Tree

A Prayer

Passon and Love

The Seedling

Promise and Fulfilment

Song

Ode to Ethiopia

The Corn-Stalk Fiddle

The Master-Player

The Mystery

Not They Who Soar

Whittier

Two Songs

A Banjo Song

Longing

The Path

The Lawyers' Ways

Ode for Memorial Day

Premonition

Retrospection

Unexpressed

Song of Summer

Spring Song

To Louise

The Rivals

The Lover and the Moon

Conscience and Remorse

Ione

Religion

Deacon Jones' Grievance

Alice

After the Quarrel

Beyond the Years

After a Visit

Curtain

The Spellin'-Bee

Keep A-Pluggin' Away

Night of Love

Columbian Ode

A Border Ballad

An Easy-Goin' Feller

A Negro Love Song

The Dilettante: A Modern Type

By the Stream

The Colored Soldier

Nature and Art

After While

The Ol' Tunes

Melancholia

The Wooing

Merry Autumn

When De Co'n Pone's Hot

Ballad

The Change Has Come

Comparison

A Corn-Song

Discovered

Disappointed

Invitation to Love

He Had His Dream

Good-Night

A Coquette Conquered

Nora: A Serenade

October

A Summer's Night

Ships that Pass in the Night

The Delinquent

Dawn

A Drowsy Day

Dirge

Hymn

Preparation

The Deserted Plantation

The Secret

The Wind and the Sea

Riding to Town

We Wear the Mask

The Meadow Lark

One Life

Changing Time

Dead

A Confidence

Phyllis

Right's Security

If

The Song

Signs of the Time

Why Fades a Dream?

The Sparrow

Speakin' O' Christmas

Lonesome

Growing' Gray

To the Memory of Mary Young

When Malindy Sings

The Party

Dirge.

PLACE this bunch of mignonette
In her cold, dead hand;
When the golden sun is set,
Where the poplars stand,
Bury her from sun and day,
Lay my little love away
From my sight.

She was like a modest flower
Blown in sunny June,
Warm as sun at noon's high hour,
Chaster than the moon.
Ah, her day was brief and bright,
Earth has lost a star of light;
She is dead.

Softly breathe her name to me,--
Ah, I loved her so.
Gentle let your tribute be;
None may better know
Her true worth than I who weep
O'er her as she lies asleep--
Soft asleep.

Lay these lilies on her breast,
They are not more white
Thatn the soul of her, at rest
'Neath their petals bright.
Chant your aves soft and low,
Solemn be your tread and slow,--
She is dead.

Lay her here beneath the grass,
Cool and green and sweet,
Where the gentle brook may pass
Crooning at her feet.
Nature's bards shall come and sing,
And the fairest flowers shall spring
Where she lies.

Safe above the water's swirl,
She has crossed the bar;
Earth has lost a precious pearl,
Heaven has gained a star,
That shall ever sing and shine,
Till it quells this grief of mine
For my love.

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