When We Two Parted

by Lord Byron

"When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years..."

When We Two Parted is a short lyrical poem by Lord Byron, widely believed to have been written in 1816, and is one of his most famous works.

The poem describes the anguish and lament that follows a break-up between the speaker and his lover. The details are sparse, however, the poem implies that the relationship was a private affair—likely extramarital—and the speaker now feels dejected after becoming aware of his ex-lover becoming romantically involved with another partner.

Lord Byron, or George Gordon Byron, was a British poet and a leading figure in Romanticism. Amongst Byron's best-known works are the brief poems She Walks in Beauty, When We Two Parted, and So, We'll Go No More a-Roving, in addition to the narrative poems Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Don Juan. He is regarded as one of the greatest British poets and remains widely read and influential, both in the English-speaking world and beyond.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Romance, Literature, British Literature, School

1 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1816

About the author

George Gordon Byron (invariably known as Lord Byron), later Noel, 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale FRS was a British poet and a leading figure in Romanticism. Amongst Byron's best-known works are the brief poems She Walks in Beauty, When We Two Parted, and So, we'll go no more a roving, in addition to the narrative poems Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Don Juan. He is regarded as one of the greatest British poets and remains widely read and influential, both in the English-speaking world and beyond.

Byron's notabilty rests not only on his writings but also on his life, which featured upper-class living, numerous love affairs, debts, and separation. He was notably described by Lady Caroline Lamb as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know". Byron served as a regional leader of Italy's revolutionary organization, the Carbonari, in its struggle against Austria. He later travelled to fight against the Ottoman Empire in the Greek War of Independence, for which Greeks revere him as a national hero. He died from a fever contracted while in Messolonghi in Greece.

Reviews

[Sadia Mansoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning
Sunk chill on my brow--
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame;
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o’er me--
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well--
Long, long shall I rue thee,
Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met--
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?--
With silence and tears.

[Yara Hossam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Lord Byron in ways that aren’t good for my mental health.

[Nour Moheb · Rating 4 out of 5]

When We Two Parted.

*

When we two parted

In silence and tears,

Half broken-hearted,

To sever for years,

Pale grew thy cheek and cold,

Colder thy kiss;

Truly that hour foretold

Sorrow to this.

.

The dew of the morning

Sank chill on my brow -

It felt like the warning

Of what I feel now.

Thy vows are all broken,

And light is thy fame:

I hear thy name spoken,

And share in its shame.

.

They name thee before me,

A knell to mine ear;

A shudder comes o'er me -

Why wert thou so dear?

They know not I knew thee,

Who knew thee too well: -

Long, long shall I rue thee

Too deeply to tell.

.

In secret we met -

In silence I grieve

That thy heart could forget,

Thy spirit deceive.

If I should meet thee

After long years,

How should I greet thee? -

With silence and tears.

Lord_Byron#

[abby murrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

wait why did i cry…i felt this in my soul

[رضوى · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In secret we met---
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart cold forget,
Thy spirit deceive
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?
With silence and tears. "

[tiana wentworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

In secret we met--
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?--
With silence and tears.

Whenever I think of Anne Elliot and her love for Lord Byron, I think of this stanza specifically.

[Aly Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In silent we meet
In silent I grieve"

Read long time ago, I'm not sure whether I write above quote correctly or not.

[Vi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just imagine if Lord Byron had Twitter

[Eoghan Doheny · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In secret we met—
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee? —
With silence and tears.”

[Emma]

"When we two parted
   In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
   To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
   Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
   Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning
   Sunk chill on my brow— 
It felt like the warning
   Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
   And light is thy fame;
I hear thy name spoken,
   And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,
   A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me—
   Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
   Who knew thee too well—
Long, long shall I rue thee,
   Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met—
   In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
   Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
   After long years,
How should I greet thee?—
   With silence and tears."

[Tanvitha Gowda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memorised this for the GCSEs. Still remember all
of it and recite it to annoy my friends every day. Best poem ever.

[Danz · Rating 5 out of 5]

So messy, it’s funny.
Normal poems r boring