101 Poems, Number 13

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

13: “Requiem,” 1890, by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94)

“Under the wide and starry sky”—

How can this start with such a line

(A line evocative and fine)

And be about a man who’ll die?

The poet loved his poem, too—

Directed it be on the stone*

He lies below—so long alone—

But left these words for me and you.

*He is buried on Mount Vaea in Samoa, near where he died.

Link to poem.