Lycidas by John Milton. Short summary

5 seconds

The narrator grieves over the untimely death of the shepherd Lucidas, who was his friend. The hysterical crowd threw him into the Gebr. The torn body of Lucidas was swept away by a torrent of water.

1 minute

Before his time, Lucidas dies and the world loses one who was not equal among men. Let the wind carry to his tomb the bitter lamentations of his friends. The narrator wishes his voice to pour out grief for Lucidas the unfortunate.

They grew up on the same hill and grazed sheep together. Together with Lucidas he met the dawns and looked out over the misty fields. They led the flock through the dewy grass to the trumpet call of the bumblebee. The heroes watched the stars in the evening. To the sound of Lucidas’ tsewn, fauns and satyrs sometimes danced in the woods.

Now the shepherd was dead and his friends could not meet him again. Even Calliope could not save her son from death. The world shed many tears for him when the singer was thrown into Gebrus by a furious mob. His mangled body was carried off in the direction of Lesbos by a torrent.