Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SILENCE, by MARIANNE MOORE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SILENCE, by         Recitation     Poem Explanation     Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: My father used to say
Last Line: Inns are not residences.
Subject(s): Animals; Cats; Fathers; Guests; Home; Silence; Visiting


My father used to say,
'Superior people never make long visits,
have to be shown Longfellow's grave
or the glass flowers at Harvard.
Self-reliant like the cat --
that takes its prey to privacy,
the mouse's limp tail hanging like a shoelace from its mouth --
they sometimes enjoy solitude,
and can be robbed of speech
by speech which has delighted them.
The deepest feeling always shows itself in silence;
not in silence, but restraint'.
Nor was he insincere in saying 'Make my house your inn.'
Inns are not residences.




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