To Hope
Charlotte Smith
Oh, Hope! thou soother sweet of human woes!
How shall I lure thee to my haunts forlorn!
For me wilt thou renew the wither’d rose,
And clear my painful path of pointed thorn?
Ah come, sweet nymph! in smiles and softness drest,
Like the young hours that lead the tender year,
Enchantress! come, and charm my cares to rest: –
Alas! the flatterer flies, and will not hear!
A prey to fear, anxiety, and pain,
Must I a sad existence still deplore?
Lo! – the flowers fade, but all the thorns remain,
“For me the vernal garland blooms no more.”
Come then, “pale Misery’s love!” be thou my cure,
And I will bless thee, who, tho’ slow, art sure.
About this poem
“To Hope” was published in Smith’s book “Elegiac Sonnets” (J. Dodley, H. Gardner, and J. Bew, 1786).
About Charlotte Smith
Charlotte Smith was born in 1749 in London. She published both novels and poetry collections, including “Elegiac Sonnets” (J. Dodley, H. Gardner, and J. Bew, 1786), “Emmeline, the Orphan of the Castle” (T. Cadell, 1788) and “Desmond. A Novel” (G. G. J. and J. Robinson, 1792). Smith died in 1806.
The Academy of American Poets is a nonprofit, mission-driven organization, whose aim is to make poetry available to a wider audience. Email The Academy at poem-a-day@poets.org.
This poem is in the public domain. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.
