Goodnight – Shelley

Poets play with words and Shelley was no exception … clearly evident in the following poem …

Goodnight

Goodnight? ah no, the night is ill
Which severs those it should unite;
Let us remain together still,
Then it will be good night.

How can I call the lone night good,
Though thy sweet wishes wing its flight?
Be it not said, thought, understood;
Then it will be good night.

To hearts which near each other move
From evening close to morning light
The night is good; because my love,
They never say goodnight.

P. B. Shelley (1792 – 1822)

It is essential to have the words before you to understand this poem. There is a difference between good night and goodnight!

In stanza one the night will not be good if ‘you’ are not by my side, implying a close relationship with someone.

In stanza two the night will not be good if there is thought or an understanding of a separation; even though the person has sweet wishes.

And in stanza three, for those that are in total commune with their soulmates, there is no need to say goodnight – no break in the spiritual connection that Shelley associates with the word goodnight. The night will always be good.

The philosophy and poetry of P. B. Shelley

Shelley on Wikipedia.

 

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