This was written by John Keats on the death of his grandmother, in December of 1814.
It is one of his earliest sonnets, and is written in the Petrarchan style. It is,
like most of his early work, emotional at the expense of form, but typically the sonnet
by its very nature provided enough structure of its own to keep this in check. While
his meter is a little awkward, requiring forced pronunciations of some of the longer
words, particularly "gloriously" in the seventh line, this is not noticable enough
to do any real harm to the poem.
As from the darkening gloom a silver dove
As from the darkening gloom a silver dove
Upsoars, and darts into the eastern light,
On pinions that nought moves but pure delight;
So fled thy soul into the realms above,
Regions of peace and everlasting love;
Where happy spirits, crowned with circles bright
Of starry beam, and gloriously bedight,
Taste the high joy none but the bless'd can prove.
There thou or joinest the immortal quire
In melodies that even heaven fair
Fill with superior bliss, or, at desire
Of the omnipotent Father, cleavest the air,
On holy message sent.--What pleasures higher?
Wherefore does any grief our joy impair?