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Poem
June 15, 1886
The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo
Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri
What is this article about?
A mother's poignant elegy for her deceased child, describing how she alone hears his laughter, footsteps, and voice in the silence, finding solace in divine promise that keeps the gate to heaven ajar.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
SILENT SOUNDS.
You do not hear it? Unto me
The sweet low sound comes ceaselessly
And, foisting floods the earth and sky
With tender tone.
You do not hear the restless beat
Upon the floor of childish feet—
Of feet that tread the flowery street
Of Heaven alone.
At morn, at noon, at eve, at night
I hear the patter, soft and light,
And catch the gust of wings, snow white,
About my door.
And on the silent air is borne
The voice that from my world was torn—
That left me, comfortless, to mourn,
For evermore.
Sometimes floats up from out the street
The boyish laughter, bird-like, sweet—
I turn, forgetfully, to greet
My darling fair.
Soft as the ripple of the stream,
Breeze-kissed beneath the moon's pale beam,
How strangely real doth it seem!
And he not there.
Ah, no; you cannot hear his call;
You catch no laugh, nor light footfall;
I am his mother—that is all;
And He who said:
"I will not leave thee desolate,"
Has, somehow, loosed the bonds of fate
And left ajar the golden gate
Which hides my dead.
—Nellie Watts McVey, in Frank Leslie's.
You do not hear it? Unto me
The sweet low sound comes ceaselessly
And, foisting floods the earth and sky
With tender tone.
You do not hear the restless beat
Upon the floor of childish feet—
Of feet that tread the flowery street
Of Heaven alone.
At morn, at noon, at eve, at night
I hear the patter, soft and light,
And catch the gust of wings, snow white,
About my door.
And on the silent air is borne
The voice that from my world was torn—
That left me, comfortless, to mourn,
For evermore.
Sometimes floats up from out the street
The boyish laughter, bird-like, sweet—
I turn, forgetfully, to greet
My darling fair.
Soft as the ripple of the stream,
Breeze-kissed beneath the moon's pale beam,
How strangely real doth it seem!
And he not there.
Ah, no; you cannot hear his call;
You catch no laugh, nor light footfall;
I am his mother—that is all;
And He who said:
"I will not leave thee desolate,"
Has, somehow, loosed the bonds of fate
And left ajar the golden gate
Which hides my dead.
—Nellie Watts McVey, in Frank Leslie's.
What sub-type of article is it?
Elegy
What themes does it cover?
Death Mourning
Religious Faith
What keywords are associated?
Mother's Grief
Deceased Child
Heavenly Sounds
Divine Comfort
Silent Echoes
What entities or persons were involved?
Nellie Watts Mcvey, In Frank Leslie's.
Poem Details
Title
Silent Sounds.
Author
Nellie Watts Mcvey, In Frank Leslie's.
Subject
A Mother's Grief For Her Deceased Child
Key Lines
You Do Not Hear It? Unto Me
The Sweet Low Sound Comes Ceaselessly
And, Foisting Floods The Earth And Sky
With Tender Tone.
"I Will Not Leave Thee Desolate,"
Has, Somehow, Loosed The Bonds Of Fate
And Left Ajar The Golden Gate
Which Hides My Dead.