A Shropshire Lad - X - MARCH

by A. E. Housman

MARCH was published in Housman's collection of 63 poems in A Shropshire Lad (1896). Housman self-published the book after being turned down by several publishers. Themes tend to focus on unrequited love, pastoral beauty, fleeting youth, grief, death, and patriotism.

    The sun at noon to higher air,
    Unharnessing the silver Pair
    That late before his chariot swam,
    Rides on the gold wool of the Ram.

    So braver notes the storm-cock sings
    To start the rusted wheel of things,
    And brutes in field and brutes in pen
    Leap that the world goes round again.

    The boys are up the woods with day
    To fetch the daffodils away,
    And home at noonday from the hills
    They bring no dearth of daffodils.

    Afield for palms the girls repair,
    And sure enough the palms are there,
    And each will find by hedge or pond
    Her waving silver-tufted wand.

    In farm and field through all the shire
    The eye beholds the heart's desire;
    Ah, let not only mine be vain,
    For lovers should be loved again.