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Poem
September 20, 1838
Staunton Spectator, And General Advertiser
Staunton, Virginia
What is this article about?
A lyrical poem by the late Mrs. Louisa P. Smith describing the moonlit Ohio River, its beauty, the sounds of boats, Indiana woods, and the poet's nostalgia for her mother's home stream.
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OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
POETRY.
THE OHIO.
BY THE LATE MRS. LOUISA P. SMITH.
The moon-light sleeps upon thy shores,
Fair river of the West!
And the soft sound of dipping oars
Just breaks thy evening rest,
Full many a barque its silver path
Is tracing o'er thy tide;
And list! the sound of song and laugh
Floats onward where they glide.
They're from light hearts, those sounds so gay,
Whose home and hopes are here,
But one whose home is far away,
Their music fails to cheer.
The woods of Indiana frown
Along the distant shore.
And they send their deep black shadows down
Upon the glassy floor;
Many a tree is blooming there—
Wild-flowers o'er spread the ground,
And thousand vines of foliage rare
The trunks are wreathed around.
But though the summer robe is gay
On every hill and tree,
The gray woods rising far away,
Are fairer still to me.
Yon cloudless moon to-night looks down
Upon no lovelier sight,
Than the river winding proudly on—
Yet beautiful in might;
Onward still to the mighty West
Where the prairie wastes unfold,
Where the Indian chieftain went to rest
As his last war-signal rolled.
No—never arched the blue skies o'er
A wave more fair and free—
But the stream around my mother's door
Is dearer far to me.
THE OHIO.
BY THE LATE MRS. LOUISA P. SMITH.
The moon-light sleeps upon thy shores,
Fair river of the West!
And the soft sound of dipping oars
Just breaks thy evening rest,
Full many a barque its silver path
Is tracing o'er thy tide;
And list! the sound of song and laugh
Floats onward where they glide.
They're from light hearts, those sounds so gay,
Whose home and hopes are here,
But one whose home is far away,
Their music fails to cheer.
The woods of Indiana frown
Along the distant shore.
And they send their deep black shadows down
Upon the glassy floor;
Many a tree is blooming there—
Wild-flowers o'er spread the ground,
And thousand vines of foliage rare
The trunks are wreathed around.
But though the summer robe is gay
On every hill and tree,
The gray woods rising far away,
Are fairer still to me.
Yon cloudless moon to-night looks down
Upon no lovelier sight,
Than the river winding proudly on—
Yet beautiful in might;
Onward still to the mighty West
Where the prairie wastes unfold,
Where the Indian chieftain went to rest
As his last war-signal rolled.
No—never arched the blue skies o'er
A wave more fair and free—
But the stream around my mother's door
Is dearer far to me.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
Pastoral
What themes does it cover?
Nature Seasons
What keywords are associated?
Ohio River
Moonlight
Indiana Woods
Nostalgia
Nature Description
Western River
What entities or persons were involved?
By The Late Mrs. Louisa P. Smith.
Poem Details
Title
The Ohio.
Author
By The Late Mrs. Louisa P. Smith.
Subject
Description Of The Ohio River And Nostalgia For Home
Form / Style
Rhymed Quatrains
Key Lines
The Moon Light Sleeps Upon Thy Shores,
Fair River Of The West!
But The Stream Around My Mother's Door
Is Dearer Far To Me.