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Lyric Poem · Life

So We'll Go No More a Roving

by Lord Byron · 1817

1So, we'll go no more a roving

2So late into the night,

3Though the heart be still as loving,

4And the moon be still as bright.

5For the sword outwears its sheath,

6And the soul wears out the breast,

7And the heart must pause to breathe,

8And love itself have rest.

9Though the night was made for loving,

10And the day returns too soon,

11Yet we'll go no more a roving

12By the light of the moon.

Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.

Quick facts

Poem
So We'll Go No More a Roving
Poet
Lord Byron
Published
1817
Length
12 lines
Form
Lyric Poem, Rhyming Poems
Themes
Life, Sad, Short

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape
12 lines · 3 quatrains
Line length
Lines run 6-8 syllables (median 7). No single length dominates, which is normal once elision and contraction are in play.
The poem’s silhouette — approximate syllables per line, measured from the text above. Even bars mean a measured line; ragged bars mean the poem sets its own widths.

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on a United States term-expiry review; status can differ elsewhere.

Author record
Lord Byron1788–1824
Source record
QuillOak curated editionSo We'll Go No More a Roving (1817) by lord-byron
Display decision
Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record
1817
Text fingerprint
SHA-256 18641a0e703e3cc1
Editorial handling
Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.
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