The Reaper and the Flowers - A poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - The Reaper and the Flowers

There is a Reaper, whose name is Death,
And, with his sickle keen,
He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,
And the flowers that grow between.

"Shall I have naught that is fair?" saith he;
"Have naught but the bearded grain?
Though the breath of these flowers is sweet to me,
I will give them all back again."

He gazed at the flowers with tearful eyes,
He kissed their drooping leaves;
It was for the Lord of Paradise
He bound them in his sheaves.

"My Lord has need of these flowerets gay,"
The Reaper said, and smiled;
"Dear tokens of the earth are they,
Where he was once a child.

"They shall all bloom in fields of light,
Transplanted by my care,
And saints, upon their garments white,
These sacred blossoms wear."

And the mother gave, in tears and pain,
The flowers she most did love;
She knew she should find them all again
In the fields of light above.

O, not in cruelty, not in wrath,
The Reaper came that day;
'T was an angel visited the green earth,
And took the flowers away.

Added: on April 20th, 2009 at 7:38 PM | Viewed: 9422 times | Comments and analysis of The Reaper and the Flowers by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Comments (19)

The Reaper and the Flowers - Comments and Information
Poet: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Art) Poem: 4. The Reaper and the Flowers Volume: Voices of the Night Poem of the Day: Jan 28 2003 Comment 19 of 19, added on November 2nd, 2009 at 8:43 PM. My first son was born about 37 years ago at 22 weeks of my third pregnancy. I had lost the first two babies at an earlier stage. I have always loved Longfellow and on rereading this poem felt that it addressed my pain. I memorized it and it really got me through a lot of pain. Since that time, I have passed copies of the poem to several friends who have lost loved ones. I have always believed that the poem was written to honor the feelings of love that a mother or father have. However, it can be interpreted in a broader sense. Tomorrow I am giving a copy to a friend who lost a beloved daughter-in-law to cancer in her middle thirties. Mary Ann Schneider from United States Comment 18 of 19, added on June 25th, 2009 at 5:43 PM. Frnkly I fine the born again christian reference almost insulting. Firstly the poem is about the loss of a child which is surely the toughest of any loss and a child, be definition, has not the capacity to accept, lose and then reaccept a religous theology. It is a very moving poem that transends sectarian or theocratic positions. The bearded grain is clearly a reference to those mature lives that are taken as a matter of harvest - the reach to make this non believers only is isulting to the beauty of the poem, the poet and anyone with an grain of independent thought. Liam Buckley from United States Comment 17 of 19, added on April 20th, 2009 at 7:38 PM. This is my very favorite poem because it illicited more feeling from me than any poem I've ever read. If words on paper can get tears out of a human, there is something very special about those words. They are capable of touching the very soul. I love reading the poem. It's not only a beautiful poem, but the words touch together in a very beautiful way. My, my, my. What a beautiful thing is man. Truly God's crowning achievement. Tami from United States More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, The Reaper and the Flowers, has received 19 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Poem: 4. The Reaper and the Flowers Volume: Voices of the Night Last read: Dec 24 2009, 8:04AM Poem of the Day: Jan 28 2003 Viewed 9422 times. Added on April 20th, 2009 at 7:38 PM.

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