Charles Dickens Poetry

LUCY'S SONG
by: Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

HOW beautiful at eventide
To see the twilight shadows pale,
Steal o'er the landscape, far and wide,
O'er stream and meadow, mound and
dale!

How soft is Nature's calm repose
When ev'ning skies their cool dews weep:
The gentlest wind more gently blows,
As if to soothe her in her sleep!

The gay morn breaks,
Mists roll away,
All Nature awakes
To glorious day.
In my breast alone
Dark shadows remain;
The peace it has known
It can never regain.


"Lucy's Song" is reprinted from The Poems and Verse of Charles Dickens. Ed. F.G. Kitton. New York: Harper & Brothers,
1903.

THE IVY GREEN
by: Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

OH, a dainty plant is the Ivy green,

That creepeth o'er ruins old!

Of right choice food are his meals,

I ween, In his cell so lone and cold.

The wall must be crumbled, the stone
decayed,

To pleasure his dainty whim:

And the mouldering dust that years have made Is a merry meal for him.

Creeping where no life is seen,

A rare old plant is the Ivy green.

Fast he stealeth on, though he wears no wings,

And a staunch old heart has he.

How closely he twineth, how tight he clings

To his friend the huge Oak Tree!

And slyly he traileth along the ground,

And his leaves he gently waves,

As he joyously hugs and crawleth round

The rich mould of dead men's graves.

Creeping where grim death hath been,

A rare old plant is the Ivy green.

Whole ages have fled and their works
decayed,

And nations have scattered been;

But the stout old Ivy shall never fade,

From its hale and hearty green.

The brave old plant, in its lonely days,

Shall fatten upon the past:

For the stateliest building man can raise Is the Ivy's food at last.

Creeping on where time has been,

A rare old plant is the Ivy green.


"The Ivy Green" is reprinted from The Poems and Verse of Charles Dickens. Ed. F.G. Kitton. New York: Harper & Brothers,