I have forgotten, and what arms have lain
Under my head till morning; but the rain
Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh
Upon the glass and listen for reply;
And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain
For unremembered lads that not again
Will turn to me at midnight with a cry.
Thus in the winter stands a lonely tree,
Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one,
Yet know its boughs more silent than before:
I cannot say what loves have come and gone;
I only know that summer sang in me
A little while, that in me sings no more.
One important element that I noticed was the supernatural element of "ghosts" and "midnight." Like in Shakespeare, any reference to these add concern and worry to the mood and tone of the poem. Also, the second part, the last six lines, accentuated the loneliness of the writer about being single.
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