Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE PAINTED CEILING, by AMY LOWELL


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE PAINTED CEILING, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: My grandpapa lives in a wonderful house
Last Line: It is only because you are short.


My Grandpapa lives in a wonderful house
With a great many windows and doors,
There are stairs that go up, and stairs that go down,
And such beautiful, slippith apples and pears falling through;
There's a big bunch of grapes all purply and sweet,
And melons and pineapples too.

They tumble and tumble, but never come down
Though I've stood underneath a long while
With my mouth open wide, for I always have hoped
Just a cherry would drop from the pile.

No matter how early I run there to look
It has always begun to fall through;
And one night when at bedtime I crept in to see,
It was falling by candle-light too.

I am sure they are magical fruits, and each one
Makes you hear things, or see things, or go
Forever invisible; but it's no use,
And of course I shall just never know.

For the ladder's too heavy to lift, and the chairs
Are not nearly so tall as I need.
I've given up hope, and I feel I shall die
Without having accomplished the deed.

It's a little bit sad, when you seem very near
To adventures and things of that sort,
Which nearly begin, and then don't; and you know
It is only because you are short.








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