Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A POET - SELF-SLAIN, by JULIA BOYNTON GREEN


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A POET - SELF-SLAIN, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Who handles words as he did? All their grace
Last Line: The silence self-imposed.
Subject(s): Poetry & Poets; Suicide


Who handles words as he did? All their grace
And power and brilliance at his subtle touch
They yielded up. Oh, bitter to spare such
A craftsman—leaving for his lofty place
No understudy!

How his vivid lines
Spring from grey pages as a tiger springs
From dull bleached grass! or as an oriole wings
Flame-bright among brown sparrows in the vines.

Why would he cheat us of our human right
To beauty he could fashion?
Why would he forfeit further singing years?
What fears, what pang, what passion
Compelled that quick relief?
What grief, what bane, what care,
What dominant despair,
Scourged him to force the gate?

Could he not wait
The certain comfort of the punctual sun—
The face of friends?
Give living one more trial?
No—no—when life too flagrantly offends,
The small swift tool—the vial!

But who will understand, who grant him shrift
For stealing from us with his golden gift?
Ah, we!
We who have battled through the pit-black hour
And yet retained
Some taper light.
All those
Who have lifted the dark draught—and yet abstained.
Such, grieving for the lyric volume closed,
Respect the awful history of a night—
The silence self-imposed.





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