Evelyn Hope Poem by Robert Browning

Evelyn Hope

Rating: 3.1


I.

Beautiful Evelyn Hope is dead!
Sit and watch by her side an hour.
That is her book-shelf, this her bed;
She plucked that piece of geranium-flower,
Beginning to die too, in the glass;
Little has yet been changed, I think:
The shutters are shut, no light may pass
Save two long rays thro' the hinge's chink.

II.

Sixteen years old, when she died!
Perhaps she had scarcely heard my name;
It was not her time to love; beside,
Her life had many a hope and aim,
Duties enough and little cares,
And now was quiet, now astir,
Till God's hand beckoned unawares,---
And the sweet white brow is all of her.

III.

Is it too late then, Evelyn Hope?
What, your soul was pure and true,
The good stars met in your horoscope,
Made you of spirit, fire and dew---
And, just because I was thrice as old
And our paths in the world diverged so wide,
Each was nought to each, must I be told?
We were fellow mortals, nought beside?

IV.

No, indeed! for God above
Is great to grant, as mighty to make,
And creates the love to reward the love:
I claim you still, for my own love's sake!
Delayed it may be for more lives yet,
Through worlds I shall traverse, not a few:
Much is to learn, much to forget
Ere the time be come for taking you.

V.

But the time will come,---at last it will,
When, Evelyn Hope, what meant (I shall say)
In the lower earth, in the years long still,
That body and soul so pure and gay?
Why your hair was amber, I shall divine,
And your mouth of your own geranium's red---
And what you would do with me, in fine,
In the new life come in the old one's stead.

VI.

I have lived (I shall say) so much since then,
Given up myself so many times,
Gained me the gains of various men,
Ransacked the ages, spoiled the climes;
Yet one thing, one, in my soul's full scope,
Either I missed or itself missed me:
And I want and find you, Evelyn Hope!
What is the issue? let us see!

VII.

I loved you, Evelyn, all the while.
My heart seemed full as it could hold?
There was place and to spare for the frank young smile,
And the red young mouth, and the hair's young gold.
So, hush,---I will give you this leaf to keep:
See, I shut it inside the sweet cold hand!
There, that is our secret: go to sleep!
You will wake, and remember, and understand.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Susan Williams 11 January 2016

I'm thinking that Evelyn Hope is a metaphor for Hope or Youth while the narrator is Reality or Old Age. Most of it can be read that way. Otherwise, it sure looks like an old man stalking a young girl and then it's all creepy and this Polly-Anna is going to read it her way or no way. There's enough creepy in the world w/o curling up in an arm chair reading it.

34 2 Reply
Elizabeth Fry 20 November 2011

He was much older than her and drawn to her beauty, though she be dead. He recognizes her as a soul mate and thus notes that they will be, nay, must be together someday-some future age. If not for that interpretation this is just plain creepy.

16 5 Reply
Hira Ali 02 December 2008

In this poem by Robert Browning purity of emotions is discussed at length.This poem is a dramatic lyric.Evelyn Hope is the name of a girl who is dead now and the lover is sobbing at her death and expressing his feelings of love for ' Beautiful Evelyne Hope'. I feel this is an abnormal love.The lover doesnot open his lips until the death of his beloved.I think he should have expresed his love instead of waiting a lot, expression of feelings is very important for a self.

13 5 Reply
Michael Morgan 11 January 2016

Trust an American to find creepiness in a pure sentiment.

8 5 Reply
Kim Barney 11 January 2016

If Hope is dead, We've much to dread! Sorry. I must agree with Elizabeth Fry. A fifty-plus year-old man expressing his love for a dead sixteen-year-old girl does border on the creepy.

10 1 Reply
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0 0 Reply
Disturbed individual 10 September 2020

This poem is so creepy an old guy stalking a young girl who doesn't even know her. And he sings by her corpse. Men are trash indeed

1 0 Reply
Mahtab Bangalee 01 May 2020

Given up myself so many times, Gained me the gains of various men, Ransacked the ages, spoiled the climes; ....superb expression; great poetic writings

0 0 Reply
Ethan 22 March 2019

Summary - https:litaide.blogspot.com201903evelyn-hope-by-robert-browning-stanza.html

2 0 Reply
Sylvaonyema Uba 14 February 2017

That body and soul so pure and gay? Well communicated and expressed. Sylva

4 1 Reply
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Robert Browning

Robert Browning

London / England
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