In the Churchyard at Tarrytown by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In the Churchyard at Tarrytown

[written to honor Washington Irving at the time of his death]

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Washington Irving, 1809
John Wesley Jarvis

Here lies the gentle humorist, who died
In the bright Indian Summer of his fame!
A simple stone, with but a date and name,
Marks his secluded resting-place beside
The river that he loved and glorified.
Here in the autumn of his days he came,
But the dry leaves of life were all aflame
With tints that brightened and were multiplied.
How sweet a life was his; how sweet a death!
Living, to wing with mirth the weary hours,
Or with romantic tales the heart to cheer;
Dying, to leave a memory like the breath
Of summers full of sunshine and of showers,
A grief and gladness in the atmosphere.

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If you enjoyed In the Churchyard at Tarrytown, please explore some more Longfellow poems.