Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE SWING, by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE SWING, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Twas jolly, swinging through the air
Last Line: For ever through that shining weather!


'Twas jolly, swinging through the air,
With young Dick Garland sitting there
Tugging the rope with might and main,
His round face flushed, his arms astrain,
His laughing blue eyes shining bright,
As they went swinging through the light --
As they went swinging, ever higher
Until it seemed that they came nigher
At every swing to the blue sky --
Until it seemed that by-and-by
The boat would suddenly swing through
That sunny dazzle of clear blue --
And they, together...
Yesterday
She'd hardly thought she'd get away:
The mistress was that cross, and she
Had only told her after tea
That ere she left she must set to
And turn the parlour out. She knew,
Ay, well enough, that it meant more
Than two hours' work. And so at four
She'd risen that morn; and done it all
Before her mistress went to call
And batter at her bedroom door
At six to rouse her. Such a floor,
So hard to sweep; and all that brass
To polish! Any other lass
But her would have thrown up the place,
And told the mistress to her face...

But how could she! Her money meant
So much to them at home. 'Twas spent
So quickly, though so hard to earn.
She'd got to keep her place, and learn
To hold her tongue. Though it was hard,
The little house in Skinner's Yard
Must be kept going. She would rob
The bairns if she should lose her job,
And they'd go hungry...
Since the night
They'd brought home father, cold and white,
Upon a stretcher, mother and she
Had had to struggle ceaselessly
To keep a home together at all.
'Twas lucky she was big and tall
And such a strong lass for fifteen.
She couldn't think where they'd have been
If she'd not earned enough to feed
And help to keep the bairns from need --
Those five young hungry mouths...
And she
For one long day beside the sea
Was having a rare holiday...

'Twas queer that Dick should want to pay
So much good money, hardly earned,
To bring her with him...
How it burned,
That blazing sun in the blue sky!
And it was good to swing so high --
So high into the burning blue,
Until it seemed they'd swing right through...

And good just to be sitting there
And watching Dick with tumbled hair
And his red necktie floating free
Against the blue of sky and sea,
As up and down and up and down
Beyond the low roofs of the town
They swung and swung...
And he was glad
To pay for her, the foolish lad,
And happy to be swinging there
With her, and rushing through the air,
So high into the burning blue
It seemed that they would swing right through...

'Twas well that she had caught the train,
She'd had to run with might and main
To catch it: and Dick waiting there
With tickets ready...
How his hair
Shone in the sunshine, and the light
Made his blue, laughing eyes so bright
Whenever he looked up at her...

She'd like to sit, and never stir
Again out of that easy seat --
With no more mats to shake and beat
And no more floors to sweep, no stairs
To scrub, and no more heavy chairs
To move -- for she was sleepy now...
Dick's hair had fallen over his brow
Into his eyes. He shook them free,
And laughed to her. 'Twas queer that he
Should think it worth his while to pay,
And give her such a holiday...
But she was sleepy now. 'Twas rare,
As they were rushing through the air
To see Dick's blue eyes shining bright
As they went swinging through the light,
As they went swinging ever higher
Until it seemed that they came nigher
At every swing to that blue sky --
Until it seemed that by-and-by
Their boat would suddenly swing through
That sunny dazzle of clear blue...

If she could swing for evermore
With Dick above that golden shore,
With no more parlour-floors to sweep --
If she could only swing and sleep...
And wake to see Dick's eyes burn bright,
To see them laughing with delight
As suddenly they swung right through
That sunny dazzle of clear blue --
And they two, sailing on together
For ever through that shining weather!





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