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Premonition

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

Dear heart, good-night!     Nay, list awhile that sweet voice singing     When the world is all so bright,     And the sound of song sets the heart a-ringing,     Oh, love, it is not right--     Not then to say, "Good-night."     Dear heart, good-night!     The late winds in the lake weeds shiver,     And the spray flies cold and white.     And the voice that sings gives a telltale quiver--     "Ah, yes, the world is bright,     But, dearest heart, good-night!"     Dear heart, good-night!     And do not longer seek to hold me!     For my soul is in affright     As the fearful glooms in their pall enfold me.     See him who sang how white     And still; so, dear, good-night.     Dear heart, good-night!     Thy hand I 'll press no more forever,     And mine eyes shall lose the light;     For the great white wraith by the winding river     Shall check my steps with might.     So, dear, good-night, good-night!

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"Dear heart, good-night!..."

Exploring the themes of classic, Paul Laurence Dunbar delivers a powerful performance in "Premonition"... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:Paul Laurence Dunbar

"Dear heart, good-night!..." by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

Paul Laurence Dunbar

About Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) was an American poet and novelist who was one of the first African-American writers to gain national prominence. His poems in dialect—including "When Malindy Sings"—and standard English explore Black life with humor, pathos, and dignity.

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