Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE SEAL FISHER'S WIFE, by ALICE CARY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE SEAL FISHER'S WIFE, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: The west shines out through lines of jet
Last Line: From the carded wool of her gown.
Subject(s): Fish & Fishing; Love; Anglers


THE west shines out through lines of jet,
Like the side of a fish through the fisher's net,
Silver and golden-brown;
And rocking the cradle, she sings so low,
As backward and forward, and to and fro,
She cards the wool for her gown.

She sings her sweetest, she sings her best,
And all the silver fades in the west,
And all the golden-brown,
And lowly leaning cradle across,
She mends the fire with faggots and moss,
And cards the wool for her gown.

Gray and cold, and cold and gray,
Over the look-out and over the bay,
The sleet comes sliding down,
And the blaze of the faggots flickers thin,
And the wind is beating the iceblocks in,
As she cards the wool for her gown.

The fisher's boats in the ice are crushed.
And now her lullaby-song is hushed, --
For sighs the singing drown, --
And all, with fingers stiff and cold,
She covers the cradle, fold on fold,
With the carded wool of her gown.

And there -- the cards upon her knee,
And her eyes wide open toward the sea,
Where the fisher's boats went down --
They found her all as cold as sleet,
And her baby smiling up so sweet,
From the carded wool of her gown.





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