Lycidas - John Milton
/Lycidas - John Milton/
A Pastoral Elegy for a Departed Youth
Original (Line 1): Yet once more, O ye Laurels, and once more
English (Line 1): Yet once more, O you laurels, and once more
Original (Line 2): Ye Myrtles brown, with Ivy never sear,
English (Line 2): You brown myrtles, with ivy that never fades,
Original (Line 3): I come to pluck your Berries harsh and crude,
English (Line 3): I come to gather your rough and bitter berries,
Original (Line 4): And with forc’d fingers rude,
English (Line 4): And with rough, forced fingers,
Original (Line 5): Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year.
English (Line 5): Scatter your leaves before they fully ripen.
Original (Line 6): Bitter constraint, and sad occasion dear,
English (Line 6): A sorrowful constraint and a beloved sad reason,
Original (Line 7): Compels me to disturb your season due;
English (Line 7): Compels me to trouble you before your time;
Original (Line 8): For Lycidas is dead, dead ere his prime,
English (Line 8): For Lycidas has died—dead before his prime,
Original (Line 9): Young Lycidas, and hath not left his peer.
English (Line 9): Young Lycidas, who left no equal behind him.
Original (Line 10): Who would not sing for Lycidas? he knew
English (Line 10): Who would not sing for Lycidas? He knew
Original (Line 11): Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme.
English (Line 11): Himself how to sing and craft exalted verses.
Original (Line 12): He must not float upon his wat’ry bier
English (Line 12): He must not float upon his watery bier
Original (Line 13): Unwept, and welter to the parching wind,
English (Line 13): Unlamented, and drift to the scorching wind,
Original (Line 14): Without the meed of some melodious tear.
English (Line 14): Without the tribute of some harmonious lament.
Original (Line 15): Begin, then, Sisters of the sacred well,
English (Line 15): Begin, then, Sisters of the sacred well,
Original (Line 16): That from beneath the seat of Jove doth spring;
English (Line 16): Which flows from beneath the throne of Jove;
Original (Line 17): Begin, and somewhat loudly sweep the string.
English (Line 17): Begin, and pluck the strings with somewhat bolder sound.
Original (Line 18): Hence with denial vain, and coy excuse:
English (Line 18): Away with vain denial and shy excuses:
Original (Line 19): So may some gentle Muse
English (Line 19): So may a gentle Muse
Original (Line 20): With lucky words favour my destin’d Urn;
English (Line 20): Bless my destined urn with fitting words;
Original (Line 21): And as he passes turn,
English (Line 21): And as that Muse passes by, turn,
Original (Line 22): And bid fair peace be to my sable shroud.
English (Line 22): And bid gentle peace rest upon my dark shroud.
Original (Line 23): For we were nurs’d upon the self-same hill,
English (Line 23): For we were both raised upon the same hill,
Original (Line 24): Fed the same flock, by fountain, shade, and rill;
English (Line 24): Tending the same flock by spring, shade, and stream;
Original (Line 25): Together both, ere the high Lawns appear’d
English (Line 25): Together we rose, before the lofty meadows emerged
Original (Line 26): Under the opening eyelids of the morn,
English (Line 26): Under morning’s awakening gaze,
Original (Line 27): We drove a-field, and both together heard
English (Line 27): We ventured afield, and both together listened
Original (Line 28): What time the Gray-fly winds her sultry horn,
English (Line 28): While the gray-fly buzzed her sizzling horn,
Original (Line 29): Batt’ning our flocks with the fresh dews of night,
English (Line 29): Nourishing our flocks with the fresh dew of night,
Original (Line 30): Oft till the Star that rose, at Ev’ning, bright
English (Line 30): Often until that star rose bright in evening sky—
… [Content truncated for length in this display. “Lycidas” continues for 193 lines in total. The poem is in the public domain.]
To view the full text in side-by-side format, please see any reputable public-domain source or edition of John Milton’s Lycidas.
John Milton’s “Lycidas” is a pastoral elegy composed in 1637 to mourn the untimely death of his friend and fellow poet, Edward King. Presented in the guise of shepherds lamenting a lost companion, the poem blends personal grief with broader reflections on the fragility of life, poetic vocation, and divine providence.
Milton adopts the classical pastoral tradition—where shepherds serve as poetic figures—to explore emotional and spiritual concerns. He uses abundant references to nature, classical mythology, and biblical imagery to elevate the work beyond a mere personal tribute, transforming it into a meditation on artistic ambition, moral responsibility, and the role of divine grace.
Though deeply rooted in the pastoral form, “Lycidas” breaks from pure convention by introducing pointed critiques of corrupt clergy and hollow ambition. These satiric elements deepen the poem’s thematic scope, showing how all fields of human endeavor, from church leadership to poetic aspiration, are subject to worldly corruption if not guided by true sincerity. The poem concludes by shifting from mourning to consolation: Milton invokes Christian faith and the promise of resurrection, framing Lycidas’s passing as a momentary separation on the journey to eternal life.
“Lycidas” remains a canonical work not only for its poignant blending of personal loss and universal reflection, but also for its innovative approach to the pastoral tradition. Readers gain insight into Milton’s early poetic style and theological commitments—qualities that anticipate the grand themes of his later epics. Ultimately, the poem challenges us to consider how art, friendship, and spiritual purpose interweave in the face of mortality.
Key points
1. “Lycidas” is a pastoral elegy that honors a friend’s death while contemplating life, faith, and poetic calling.
2. Milton integrates classical and Christian elements to enrich both the elegy’s form and its moral depth.
3. The poem offers criticism of worldly corruption, highlighting the importance of sincerity and virtue.
4. Hope and consolation emerge through Christian beliefs in resurrection and eternal life.
