To say that the sands of time run golden, or become changed into gold, is only a poetical way of stating that the time becomes more than happy--almost heavenly or divine.

And now you will see how very beautiful the comparison becomes in this little poem about the ghost of the woman waiting for the coming step of her lover.
Several other aspects of the emotion may now be considered separately.

One of these, an especially beautiful one, is memory.

Of course, there are many aspects of love's memories, some all happiness, others intensely sorrowful--the memory of a walk, a meeting, a moment of good-bye.

Such memories occupy a very large place in the treasure house of English love poems.