Classic and Contemporary Poetry
COTTAGE AND HALL, by ALICE CARY Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: With eyes to her sewing-work dropped down Last Line: And may be thinks of alexis. Subject(s): Domestics; Mothers & Sons; Mourning; Death – Children | ||||||||
WITH eyes to her sewing-work dropped down, And with hair in a tangled shower, And with roses kissed by the sun, so brown, Young Janey sat in her bower -- A garden nook with work and book; And the bars that crossed her girlish gown Were as blue as the flaxen flower. And her little heart it beat and beat, Till the work shook on her knee, For the golden combs are not so sweet To the honey-fasting bee As to her her thoughts of Alexis. And across a good green piece of wood, And across a field of flowers, A modest, lowly house there stood That held her eyes for hours -- A cottage low, hid under the snow Of cherry and bean-vine flowers. Sometimes it held her all day long, For there at her distaff bent, And spinning a double thread of song And of wool, in her sweet content, Sat the mother of young Alexis. And Janey turned things in and out, As foolish maids will do. What could the song be all about? Yet well enough she knew That while the fingers drew the wool As fine as fine could be, The loving mother-heart was full Of her boy gone to sea -- Her blue-eyed boy, her pride and joy, On the cold and cruel sea -- Her darling boy, Alexis. And beyond the good green piece of wood, And the field of flowers so gay, Among its ancient oaks there stood, With gables high and gray, A lofty hall, where mistress of all She might dance the night away. And as she sat and sewed her seam In the garden bower that day Alike from seam and alike from dream Her truant thoughts would stray; It would be so fine like a lady to shine, And to dance the night away! And oh, and alas for Alexis! And suns have risen and suns gone down On cherry and bean-vine bowers, And the tangled curls o'er the eyes dove-brown They fall no more in showers; Nor are there bars in the homespun gown As blue as the flaxen flowers. Aye, winter wind and winter rain Have beaten away the bowers, And little Janey is Lady Jane, And dances away the hours! Maidens she hath to play and sing, And her mother's house and land Could never buy the jeweled ring She wears on her lily hand -- The hand that is false to Alexis! Ah, bright were the sweet young cheeks and eyes, And the silken gown was gay, When first to the hall as mistress of all She came on her wedding-day. "Now where, my bride," says the groom in pride -- "Now where will your chamber be?" And from wall to wall she praises all, But chooses the one by the sea! And the suns they rise and the suns they set, But she rarely sees their gleam, For often her eyes with tears are wet. And the sewing-work is unfinished yet, And so is the girlish dream. For when her ladies gird at her, And her lord is cold and stern, Old memories in her heart must stir, And she cannot choose but mourn For the gentle boy, Alexis! And alway, when the dance is done, And her weary feet are free, She sits in her chamber all alone At the window next the sea, And combs her shining tresses down By the light of the fading stars, And may be thinks of her homespun gown With the pretty flax-flower bars. For when the foam of wintry gales Runs white along the blue, Hearing the rattle of stiffened sails, She trembles through and through, And may be thinks of Alexis. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MOTHER AND CHILD by DAVID IGNATOW ELEGY FOR A CHILD by GREGORY ORR THE MAID OF NEIDPATH by THOMAS CAMPBELL THE BROKEN HOUSEHOLD by ALICE CARY TAKEN FROM MEN THIS MORNING by EMILY DICKINSON WHEN I WAS SMALL, A WOMAN DIED by EMILY DICKINSON A BABY'S CRADLE WITH NO BABY IN IT by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI A SPINSTER'S STINT by ALICE CARY |
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