Classic and Contemporary Poetry
VOICE IN SILENCE, by JOHN FREEMAN Poet's Biography First Line: Ghast in white moonshine shone the frozen / bones Last Line: Sudden, in a muted world, your human note. Subject(s): Love; Nature; Silence | ||||||||
GHAST in white moonshine shone the frozen bones Of trees above the naked stone-ribbed field. Everything silent lay, not even a shadow Trembled: all living like all dead was stilled. Not stiller the leaning stones in the crazed churchyard, Not stiller the dust couched on the dust beneath, Not stiller the bright dust speckling the windless sky, Than field and tree in this cold stare of death. The windows of the house were shut and blind, The pear-tree clutched the walls for warmthin vain; No fire, no smoke, within the chimney crawled, No gilt beam beckoned from the porch-door pane. Turning away for ever where the path led From silence down to silence, I stayed to listen And stare and listen and stare. What was it then Below the dead-ivy wall, in the frozen glisten And glitter of stars above and frost below? Water that gleamed in the steep ditch. What sound? Water's voice, singing alone and sweet, Now clear and swift her notes, then underground Flowing and falling silent awhile, and then Shaking the dark and silence from her throat ... And I, O strange Love, startled from stone to hear Sudden, in a muted world, your human note. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A SONG OF SILENCE by LOUISA SARAH BEVINGTON TANKA DIARY (9) by HARRYETTE MULLEN 7 A.M., A MAN AND A WOMAN by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR |
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