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Literary
March 14, 1829
The Delaware Register, Or, Farmers', Manufacturers' & Mechanics' Advocate
Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware
What is this article about?
A lyrical poem by Mrs. Hemans revering sleep as a holy, heavenly gift that shrouds the weary, urging readers to tread lightly around sleepers whose souls journey in dreams to childhood lands, natural harmonies, and lost loved ones.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
From the Bijou.
THE SLEEPERS.
BY MRS. HEMANS.
Oh! lightly, lightly tread!
A holy thing is sleep,
On the worn spirit shed,
And eyes that wake to weep:
A holy thing from heaven,
A gracious dewy cloud,
A covering mantle, given
The weary to enshroud.
Oh! lightly, lightly tread!
Revere the pale still brow,
The meekly-drooping head,
The long hair's willowy flow!
Ye know not what ye do,
That call the slumberer back,
From the world unseen by you.
Unto life's dim faded track.
Her soul is far away,
In her childhood's land perchance,
Where her young sisters play,
Where shines her mother's glance.
Some old sweet native sound
Her spirit haply weaves;
A harmony profound
Of woods with all their leaves:
A murmur of the sea,
A laughing tone of streams:
Long may her sojourn be
In the music-land of dreams!
Each voice of love is there,
Each gleam of beauty fled,
Each lost one still more fair—
Oh! lightly, lightly tread!
THE SLEEPERS.
BY MRS. HEMANS.
Oh! lightly, lightly tread!
A holy thing is sleep,
On the worn spirit shed,
And eyes that wake to weep:
A holy thing from heaven,
A gracious dewy cloud,
A covering mantle, given
The weary to enshroud.
Oh! lightly, lightly tread!
Revere the pale still brow,
The meekly-drooping head,
The long hair's willowy flow!
Ye know not what ye do,
That call the slumberer back,
From the world unseen by you.
Unto life's dim faded track.
Her soul is far away,
In her childhood's land perchance,
Where her young sisters play,
Where shines her mother's glance.
Some old sweet native sound
Her spirit haply weaves;
A harmony profound
Of woods with all their leaves:
A murmur of the sea,
A laughing tone of streams:
Long may her sojourn be
In the music-land of dreams!
Each voice of love is there,
Each gleam of beauty fled,
Each lost one still more fair—
Oh! lightly, lightly tread!
What sub-type of article is it?
Poem
What themes does it cover?
Religious
Death Mortality
Nature
What keywords are associated?
Sleep
Dreams
Holy Rest
Childhood Memories
Natural Harmony
What entities or persons were involved?
By Mrs. Hemans.
Literary Details
Title
The Sleepers.
Author
By Mrs. Hemans.
Key Lines
Oh! Lightly, Lightly Tread!
A Holy Thing Is Sleep,
On The Worn Spirit Shed,
And Eyes That Wake To Weep:
Long May Her Sojourn Be
In The Music Land Of Dreams!