Poems

She is Far from the Land
by Thomas Moore

She is far from the land, where her young hero sleeps,
And lovers are round her, sighing;
But coldly she turns from their gaze, and weeps,
For her heart in his grave is lying!

She sings the wild song of her dear native plains,
Every note which he lov'd awaking
Ah! little they think, who delight in her strains,
How the heart of the Minstrel is breaking!

He had lov'd for his love, for his country he died,
They were all that to life had entwin'd him,
Nor soon shall the tears of his country be dried,
Nor long will his love stay behind him.

Oh! make her a grave, where the sun-beams rest,
When they promise a glorious morrow;
They'll shine o'er her sleep, like a smile from the West,
From her own lov'd Island of sorrow!

This is a poem of lost love. It tells of a beautiful woman who though she is now surrounded by other men is sad because of the death of her love. She is now far away from were her love was. She sings the songs from where she used to live that he liked to the other men. The other men do not understand her sorrow. At the end the poem says, “Nor long will his love stay behind him,” meaning that his love will die soon because she misses him (12). The last stanza talks about the girl’s grave. It says that she should be put in the sun so that she can be nearer the west where her love was.

I chose this poem because I found it very touching. The poem is sad because it is about a woman who has lost her love but at the same time it is happy because she will soon be put out of her misery. I also liked this poem because its message it that true love does not die. It talks of how even after she dies she should be buried where she is closer to the west because even in death she should be close to her true love. It also reminded me of other stories. It reminds me of one book that was a telling of Tam Line. The poem seems to be set out doors and seems to have a mystical feeling about it like perhaps if the story continued you might meat a fairy or a nymph like in the book