The Reaper And The Flowers Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Reaper And The Flowers

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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 nought that is fair?'' saith he;
``Have nought 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;
'Twas an angel visited the green earth,
And took the flowers away.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Vernon Burke 16 October 2018

I have found over the years that this wonderfully sweet verse has become my favorite at the most difficult time of a youthful passing.

2 0 Reply
Amar Agarwala 25 March 2016

I came across this masterpiece by Longfellow by chance. I am left spell-bound and mesmerized by it. What a piece of literature. It must be read as text in the subject of literature in schools or perhaps in college. Blessed with such majestic verses.

2 1 Reply
Thabani Khumalo 16 June 2015

I have a vision to write like this, only if god would bless me enough to.l

5 7 Reply
Thabani Khumalo 16 June 2015

I have a vision to write like this, only if god would bless me enough to.k

5 7 Reply
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