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Literary
May 1, 1879
Independent Statesman
Concord, Merrimack County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
Poem by George H. Boker celebrating a couple's golden wedding anniversary, urging them to revisit their youthful love, acknowledge joys and sorrows including a lost loved one, and renew their bond amid friends.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
ON A GOLDEN WEDDING.
BY GEORGE H. BOKER.
Look back across your fifty years,
And be again the man, the maid,
Upon whose youthful hopes and fears
God's sweetest sacrament was laid.
Bridge Time's swift river with a span.
Whose arch shall hide his waves from sight:
Glide back to where your lives began;
Let past and present reunite.
Make each of us a wedding guest,
A friend amid the throng you knew.
Whose lips pronounced your nuptials blest,
Whose eyes were filled with tender dew.
Why think, O Bride, of how the hours
Have stored your memory as they rolled
Or why your wreath of orange flowers
Time's alchemy has turned to gold?
Why, Bridegroom, look from face to face.
As though you knew them, and could name
Your children-women fair with grace.
And ripened men of worth and fame?
Why look you both for one who lies
In glory, but so far apart?
His laureled memory dims your eyes;
You can but see him with the heart.
Think them not yours; but each a guest
Or kinsman, and ourselves your peers,
Who differ from you, like the rest
Of mortals, but in looks and years.
We will it thus. With Fancy's wand
We sever and rejoin your chain
By this one golden link—a bond
Whose touch shall make you young again.
Men see the fruit within the flower,
And see the flower within the fruit;
About the ripening sun and shower
Our wilful lips tonight are mute.
The music calls, the dance is set,
The feast is spread within the hall;
Bridegroom and Bride, a while forget
A little, to remember all!
Lippincott's Mag.
BY GEORGE H. BOKER.
Look back across your fifty years,
And be again the man, the maid,
Upon whose youthful hopes and fears
God's sweetest sacrament was laid.
Bridge Time's swift river with a span.
Whose arch shall hide his waves from sight:
Glide back to where your lives began;
Let past and present reunite.
Make each of us a wedding guest,
A friend amid the throng you knew.
Whose lips pronounced your nuptials blest,
Whose eyes were filled with tender dew.
Why think, O Bride, of how the hours
Have stored your memory as they rolled
Or why your wreath of orange flowers
Time's alchemy has turned to gold?
Why, Bridegroom, look from face to face.
As though you knew them, and could name
Your children-women fair with grace.
And ripened men of worth and fame?
Why look you both for one who lies
In glory, but so far apart?
His laureled memory dims your eyes;
You can but see him with the heart.
Think them not yours; but each a guest
Or kinsman, and ourselves your peers,
Who differ from you, like the rest
Of mortals, but in looks and years.
We will it thus. With Fancy's wand
We sever and rejoin your chain
By this one golden link—a bond
Whose touch shall make you young again.
Men see the fruit within the flower,
And see the flower within the fruit;
About the ripening sun and shower
Our wilful lips tonight are mute.
The music calls, the dance is set,
The feast is spread within the hall;
Bridegroom and Bride, a while forget
A little, to remember all!
Lippincott's Mag.
What sub-type of article is it?
Poem
What themes does it cover?
Love Romance
Death Mortality
What keywords are associated?
Golden Wedding
Anniversary Poem
Marriage Renewal
Memory
Lost Loved One
What entities or persons were involved?
By George H. Boker.
Literary Details
Title
On A Golden Wedding.
Author
By George H. Boker.
Subject
Golden Wedding Anniversary
Key Lines
Look Back Across Your Fifty Years,
And Be Again The Man, The Maid,
Upon Whose Youthful Hopes And Fears
God's Sweetest Sacrament Was Laid.
Why Look You Both For One Who Lies
In Glory, But So Far Apart?
His Laureled Memory Dims Your Eyes;
You Can But See Him With The Heart.
The Music Calls, The Dance Is Set,
The Feast Is Spread Within The Hall;
Bridegroom And Bride, A While Forget
A Little, To Remember All!