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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
SISTER MADELEINE, by CLARE EVEREST First Line: The blessed hush of eventide Last Line: "into the ""silent land." Subject(s): Absence; Farewell; Grief; Separation; Isolation; Parting; Sorrow; Sadness | |||
THE blessed hush of eventide Over the weary city fell, And softly pealed the vesper-bell Across the waters dim and wide, Breathing a sacred spell. Across the waters wide and dim, And through the dusty, murky street, The chimes passed on, with silver feet: Chords of the never-silent hymn With which the air doth beat. They pulsed across the silent space Which closed the old cathedral in, And rang remotely through the din That still was in the market-place, With echo faint and thin. One of the bustling, careless throng Listened apart, with low-bowed head; A toiler, he, for daily bread, -- What time had such to heed the song? Why works he not instead? A far-off look is in his eyes, He seeth nothing that is near, He only doth those bell-tones hear, Soft ringing through the purple skies, Distant, but ever dear. Oh, happy magic of their chime! The dreams of youth again enfold That time-worn spirit, growing old Too early in this alien clime, Where hearts as snow are cold. But fairest of the treasures sweet By memory brought from their dim place, Shineth the vision of a face For angel habitations meet In its transcendent grace. He saw her as she used to stand, With parted lips and lifted eyes, Watching the wondrous sunset skies, And pointing, with her slender hand, Towards their changeful dyes. Ah, what can give the world release From under thraldom of this pain, That life can never know again The rapturous joy, the trust and peace Of youth's departed train? But not of this he thought to-night: The happy days of long ago Were round him, with unfaded glow; The flowers as fresh, the skies as bright, As those he used to know. More deep and dark the shadows grew, The bell's last echoes died away Within the heavens still and gray. The peace of night seemed sweet and new After the toilful day. But lo! a sudden, blinding glare Shot upward in the northern sky; And loud and sharp rang out a cry That human seemed in its despair, -- The bells of Trinity, Which but a few short hours ago Breathed their good-night so tenderly Over the quiet earth and sea, And faded with the sunset glow Peaceful exceedingly. But now across the night they ring With a wild terror and despair That thrills through all the fearful air, Till the wide heavens seem shuddering With the impassioned prayer. And human hearts have heard the call: Thousands are thronging up the steep Whereon the gray old tower doth keep Its steadfast vigil over all Within its shade asleep. Too late, too late the help had come, The flames were curling everywhere, And, fainting in the scorching air, The very bells at last were dumb In uttermost despair. But in the silence that succeeds The sudden hushing of the bells, One awful human cry upswells, And not a listening heart but bleeds For her whose fate it tells. "Alas, 't is Sister Madeleine!" The nuns cry out, with faces pale, And then they wring their hands, and wail; For sweeter sister ne'er was seen Beneath a convent veil. But while the thousands held their breath, One listener sprang with footstep light, Pushing the crowd to left and right, Forcing his way to fiery death, While every cheek grew white. He vanished through the smoke-veiled door, And higher yet, with fearful glee, The red flames clambered merrily, Wrapping the lofty tower o'er With splendor sad to see. The abbess knelt, with asben face -- "For those two souls we cry to Thee, Through Him who died upon the tree, That Thou wilt grant to them thy grace In their extremity." A thousand voices cried, "Amen," -- And as in answer to the prayer Out from the blinding, stifling glare, Like life that wakens from the dead, Forth came the fated pair. Scorched, blinded, deafened, on they pressed, -- The dreamer of the market-place, Close holding in a last embrace, Close holding 'gainst a dying breast, That dreamed-of angel face. Parting and pain for both were done; Together from the stranger's strand Peacefully passed they, hand in hand, Before the rising of the sun, Into the "Silent Land." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SONOMA FIRE by JANE HIRSHFIELD AS THE SPARKS FLY UPWARDS by JOHN HOLLANDER WHAT GREAT GRIEF HAS MADE THE EMPRESS MUTE by JUNE JORDAN CHAMBER MUSIC: 19 by JAMES JOYCE DIRGE AT THE END OF THE WOODS by LEONIE ADAMS |
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