Classic and Contemporary Poetry
SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: ELIZABETH CHILDERS, by EDGAR LEE MASTERS Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Dust of my dust Last Line: Death is better than life! Subject(s): Stillbirth; Death - Childbirth | ||||||||
DUST of my dust, And dust with my dust, O, child who died as you entered the world, Dead with my death! Not knowing Breath, though you tried so hard, With a heart that beat when you lived with me, And stopped when you left me for Life. It is well, my child. For you never traveled The long, long way that begins with school days, When little fingers blur under the tears That fall on the crooked letters. And the earliest wound, when a little mate Leaves you alone for another; And sickness, and the face of Fear by the bed; The death of a father or mother; Or shame for them, or poverty; The maiden sorrow of school days ended; And eyeless Nature that makes you drink From the cup of Love, though you know it's poisoned; To whom would your flower-face have been lifted? Botanist, weakling? Cry of what blood to yours? -- Pure or foul, for it make no matter, It's blood that calls to our blood. And then your children -- oh, what might they be? And what your sorrow? Child! Child! Death is better than Life! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ANNIVERSARY by PRIMUS ST. JOHN STILLBIRTH by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR THE FAIREST THING IN MORTAL EYES by CHARLES D'ORLEANS AN ODE UPON A QUESTION WHETHER LOVE SHOULD CONTINUE FOREVER by EDWARD HERBERT OBEDIENCE OF THE CORPSE by CAROLYN D. WRIGHT STILL LIFE by ANNE MILLAY BREMER ON AN INFANT UNBORN, AND THE MOTHER DYING IN TRAVAIL by WILLIAM BROWNE (1591-1643) SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: ALEXANDER THROCKMORTON by EDGAR LEE MASTERS |
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