Oh, so far away from here;

It was vain to speak to my darling,

For I knew she could not hear.

*  *  *  *  *

And I know that at last my message

Has passed through the golden gate;

So my heart is no longer restless,

And I am content to wait.

This poem first appeared in The Cornhill Magazine, November, 1860, in 13 four-lined verses, over the initials A. A. P. (Adelaide Anne Proctor). It is now better known as The Message, and has been frequently parodied.

The Message.