Villanelle

In the clatter of the train
Is a promise brisk and bright.
I shall see my love again!

I am tired and fagged and fain;
But I feel a still delight
In the clatter of the train,

Hurry-hurrying on amain
Through the moonshine thin and white—
I shall see my love again!

Many noisy miles remain;
But a sympathetic sprite
In the clatter of the train

Hammers cheerful:-that the strain
Once concluded and the fight,
I shall see my love again.

Yes, the overword is plain,—
If it’s trivial, if it’s trite—
In the clatter of the train:
“I shall see my love again.”

W. E. Henley.