Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Poem
May 6, 1875
The Centre Reporter
Centre Hall, Centre County, Pennsylvania
What is this article about?
A narrative poem where a woman describes losing her heart to a man already married, resulting in a lonely but peaceful life without the burdens of matrimony.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
How I Lost My Heart.
To tell you just how I lost it
Oh, that were a difficult task;
Now the thing got away on that autumn day
I never stopped to ask.
Perhaps 'twas a glance that did it,
A soft caress to my hair.
A close warm grasp, or a gentle clasp
That captured it then and there
You see, there are things you can govern,
But hearts have a way of their own
Like birds they fly, and you can't tell why
You only miss them when gone.
And why I don't tell the story.
If the reason you really must learn,
Is, though life grew bright with a rosy light
Yet I won no heart in return.
Somebody's eyes were gentle and kind
And his voice was soft and low
But the heart I wanted was given away
Ever so long ago.
And so, while I solace a lonely life
With a cat and a cup of tea,
Somebody's arm is round his wife
And her baby is on his knee.
And the loss I met with results in this
That mine is a lonely part:
You can't for your life make a loving wife
Of a woman without a heart.
Another head rests on the manly breast
That I wanted to shelter me
Some other fair face has won my place.
So no man's wife I'll be.
But compensation's a law of life
And though trials the gods will send.
I've no one to scold when his beefsteak's cold
And no small stockings to mend
So that the love that is lost I never regret.
When I think what my troubles might be
When dinner is late I smile at fate
And nobody storms at me.
To tell you just how I lost it
Oh, that were a difficult task;
Now the thing got away on that autumn day
I never stopped to ask.
Perhaps 'twas a glance that did it,
A soft caress to my hair.
A close warm grasp, or a gentle clasp
That captured it then and there
You see, there are things you can govern,
But hearts have a way of their own
Like birds they fly, and you can't tell why
You only miss them when gone.
And why I don't tell the story.
If the reason you really must learn,
Is, though life grew bright with a rosy light
Yet I won no heart in return.
Somebody's eyes were gentle and kind
And his voice was soft and low
But the heart I wanted was given away
Ever so long ago.
And so, while I solace a lonely life
With a cat and a cup of tea,
Somebody's arm is round his wife
And her baby is on his knee.
And the loss I met with results in this
That mine is a lonely part:
You can't for your life make a loving wife
Of a woman without a heart.
Another head rests on the manly breast
That I wanted to shelter me
Some other fair face has won my place.
So no man's wife I'll be.
But compensation's a law of life
And though trials the gods will send.
I've no one to scold when his beefsteak's cold
And no small stockings to mend
So that the love that is lost I never regret.
When I think what my troubles might be
When dinner is late I smile at fate
And nobody storms at me.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ballad
What themes does it cover?
Love Courtship
What keywords are associated?
Unrequited Love
Lost Heart
Lonely Life
Romantic Loss
Marital Consolation
Poem Details
Title
How I Lost My Heart.
Key Lines
You See, There Are Things You Can Govern,
But Hearts Have A Way Of Their Own
Like Birds They Fly, And You Can't Tell Why
You Only Miss Them When Gone.
And The Loss I Met With Results In This
That Mine Is A Lonely Part:
You Can't For Your Life Make A Loving Wife
Of A Woman Without A Heart.
So That The Love That Is Lost I Never Regret.
When I Think What My Troubles Might Be
When Dinner Is Late I Smile At Fate
And Nobody Storms At Me.