Earthly Pomp

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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

An illustration for the story Earthly Pomp by the author Nathaniel Hawthorne — Vincent van Gogh, Starry night over the Rhone, 1888

Oh, earthly pomp is but a dream,
And like a meteor's short-lived gleam;
And all the sons of glory soon
Will rest beneath the mould'ring stone.
And Genius is a star whose light
Is soon to sink in endless night,
And heavenly beauty's angel form
Will bend like flower in winter's storm.

Enjoy reading some of Hawthorne's other Dark Romantic poems, such as Oh Could I Raise the Darken'd Veil

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