Quothe the Raven, "Nevermore"
Today is a cold day in Otter. The thermometer read 22 degrees when Dick came
over to the house at 5 am to get things rolling and to turn the heaters on to warm things up before Gladys wakes..
9 inches of snow is forecast for the next 24 hours. The water in the rain barrel outside
the house is frozen.
Gladys is optimistic.
"Ain't that a fine prospect having it snow, a fellow could get cold if
it keeps going like this," she says.
Gladys loves to say her pieces and she just adores Edgar Allan Poe.
"He's a bit of a depressing fellow but he sure can write good stuff,"
she says launching into the reciting of "The Raven". Her face gets
very animated and her voice deepens. The room gets quiet as we
listen to her recite the lines...
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Children's Hour by Longfellow
This is one of Gladys' favorite poems, her Grandaughter, Mary Jane
furnished the copy for this post. Many thanks to Mary Jane.
THE CHILDREN'S HOUR
Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the Children's Hour.
I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.
From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.
A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.
A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!
They climb up into my turret
O'er the arms and back of my chair,
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.
They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms around me entwine,
Til I think I'm the bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!
Do you think, o blue-eyed bandetti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!
I have you fast in my fortress,
And I will not let you depart,
But put you down in my dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.
And there I will keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day.
Til the walls shall crumble to ruin,
and moulder to dust away.
furnished the copy for this post. Many thanks to Mary Jane.
THE CHILDREN'S HOUR
Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the Children's Hour.
I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.
From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.
A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.
A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!
They climb up into my turret
O'er the arms and back of my chair,
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.
They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms around me entwine,
Til I think I'm the bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!
Do you think, o blue-eyed bandetti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!
I have you fast in my fortress,
And I will not let you depart,
But put you down in my dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.
And there I will keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day.
Til the walls shall crumble to ruin,
and moulder to dust away.
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