Go to the Grave

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Though not widely recognized for his poetry, Go to the Grave is a fine example of Hawthorne's achievements in the Dark Romanticism genre.

An illustration for the story Go to the Grave by the author Nathaniel Hawthorne — In Concord, MA, where Alcott and Hawthorne were buried

O to the grave where friends are laid,
And learn how quickly mortals fade,
Learn how the fairest flower must droop,
Learn how the strongest form must stoop,
Learn that we are but dust and clay,
The short-liv'd creatures of a day.
Yet do not sigh -- there is a clime,
Where they will dwell through endless time,
Who here on earth their Maker serve,
And never from his precepts swerve.
The grave to them is but a road,
That leads them to that blest abode.

If you enjoyed this poem, you may also like Hawthorne's Earthly Pomp, and Longfellow's tribute poem, Hawthorne

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