Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE OLD MAN, by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: The boat put in at dead of night Last Line: Upon my father's empty chair. | ||||||||
The boat put in at dead of night; And when I reached the house, 'twas sleeping dark. I knew my gentlest tap would be a spark To set my home alight: My mother ever listening in her sleep For my returning step, would leap Awake with welcome; and my father's eyes Would twinkle merrily to greet me; And my young sister would run down to meet me With sleepy sweet surprise. And yet, awhile I lingered Upon the threshold, listening; And watched the cold stars glistening, And seemed to hear the deep Calm breathing of the house asleep -- In easy sleep, so deep, I almost feared to break it And, even as I fingered The knocker, loth to wake it, Like some uncanny inkling Of news from otherwhere, I felt a cold breath in my hair, As though, with chin upon my shoulder, One waited hard, upon my heel, With pricking eyes of steel, Though well I knew that not a soul was there. Until, at last, grown bolder, I rapped; and in a twinkling, The house was all afire With welcome in the night: First, in my mother's room, a light; And then, her foot upon the stair; A bolt shot back; a candle's flare; A happy cry; and to her breast She hugged her heart's desire, And hushed her fears to rest. Then, shivering in the keen night air, My sleepy sister laughing came; And drew us in: and stirred to flame The smouldering kitchen-fire; and set The kettle on the kindling red: And as I watched the homely blaze, And thought of wandering days With sharp regret, I missed my father: then I heard How he was still a-bed; And had been ailing, for a day or so; But now was waking, if I'd go... My foot already on the stair, In answer to my mother's word I turned; and saw in dull amaze, Behind her, as she stood all unaware, An old man sitting in my father's chair. A strange old man ... yet, as I looked at him, Before my eyes a dim Remembrance seemed to swim Of some old man, who'd lurked about the boat, While we were still at sea; And who had crouched beside me, at the oar, As we had rowed ashore; Though, at the time, I'd taken little note, I felt I'd seen that strange old man before: But how he'd come to follow me, Unknown... And to be sitting there... Then I recalled the cold breath in my hair, When I had stood, alone, Before the bolted door. And now my mother, wondering sore To see me stare and stare, So strangely, at an empty chair, Turned, too; and saw the old man there. And as she turned, he slowly raised His drooping head, And looked upon her with her husband's eyes. She stood, a moment, dazed And watched him slowly rise, As though to come to her: Then, with a cry, she sped Upstairs, ere I could stir. Still dazed, I let her go, alone: I heard her footsteps overhead: I heard her drop beside the bed, With low forsaken moan. Yet, I could only stare and stare Upon my father's empty chair. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BETWEEN THE LINES by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON BREAKFAST by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON FLANNAN ISLE by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON FOR G. by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON GERANIUMS by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON LAMENT by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON RETREAT by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON RUPERT BROOKE by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON THE GORSE by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON THE ICE by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON |
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