%
% Winter
%
% Reuben Thomas 28th November 2012 (for Jamie Hall’s setting of Walter de la Mare’s poem of the same name, to avoid copyright problems); revised 23rd August 2013
%
% Typeset 28th November 2012
%


\documentclass[english]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{a4,babel,palatino}
\usepackage[nonotes]{poem}

\pagestyle{empty}

\begin{document}
\begin{poem}
\title{Winter}
\poemdedication{for Basil Rose}
\stanza*
\tab Life! oh so old,\\
\tab My heart is cold,\\
My vision dark with sleep;\\ % originally a full stop at the end of this line; and as set by Jamie.
The winter’s snow I long to fall,\\
\tab Entomb me deep!\\

\stanza*
\tab But still I see\\
\tab Through leafless tree\\
Dying the sun’s red light,\\
And still the wish burns deep within:\\
\tab Let there be light!\\

\stanza*
\tab Hush, hush! no more!\\
\tab I’ll close the door,\\
The curtain I’ll draw to;\\
Then I’ll lie down and face the wall,\\
\tab And come to you.\\
\author{Reuben Thomas}
\poemdate{28th November 2012}
\end{poem}
\begin{notes}
Written for Jamie Hall’s music which originally set Walter de la Mare’s poem of the same title. Jamie posted on Facebook that he was happy to have three pieces performed that Christmas, and sorry a fourth couldn’t be for some years. I asked him about it, and it turned out he was in the same situation as Eric Whitacre with his setting of Robert Frost’s \emph{Stopping by woods on a snowy evening} which became \emph{Sleep} with Tony Silvestri’s text. I offered to write some new words, and he agreed. I pretty much finished the first attempt (which was complete except for the last line) while cycling to a Philharmonia Voices rehearsal for \emph{Merry Widow} at Westminster Abbey. When I got home I rewrote it to fit the music; the second verse almost worked, while the outer two needed more alteration. The last line, which added a new dimension, came to me as I realised this was for my grandfather.
\end{notes}
\end{document}
% First version
% \stanza*
% My life is old\\
% My heart is cold\\
% My vision dark with sleep\\
% I long for winter’s snow to fall\\
% Bury me deep\\
%
% \stanza*
% But still I see\\
% Through leafless tree\\
% The dying sun’s red light\\
% And still the wish burns deep within:\\
% Let there be light.\\
%
% \stanza*
% Enough! no more!\\
% I’ve closed the door\\
% And drawn the curtain to\\
% I will lie down and face the wall\\
