The Dewdrop
The Dewdrop first appeared in Carols from the Coalfields in 1886 and was included in the two later collections of 1888 & 1892.
Ah, be not vain. In yonder flower-bell
As rare a pearl, did I appear,
As ever grew in ocean shell,
To dangle at a Helen’s ear
So too was I till a cruel blast
Arose and swept me to the ground,
When, in the jewel of the past,
Earth but a drop of water found.
I have given this poem a setting in more of an art music style, which I felt it merited. I think of this as one of his most succinct poems. I have left the words virtually unaltered, only making two very small changes to help with the rhythm when singing it.