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Poem
September 30, 1875
Knoxville Journal
Knoxville, Marion County, Iowa
What is this article about?
A speaker witnesses a beautiful maiden weeping in her ivied bower at twilight, assuming grief over lost love, but she reveals her tears are for wanting a brand-new hat. Humorous twist in the poem by Mary Middlemore.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
THE MAIDEN'S TEARS.
She sat within her ivied bower--
Twas at the twilight's holy hour,
A maiden, lovely as the morn,
Before the silver stars were born.
Tears glistened in her tender eyes,
Her bosom heaved with anguished sighs,
And lay like pearls on her soft cheek;
My heart grew sad, and faint and weak.
Earth holds no sadder sight than this--
What tales they tell of bygone bliss,
A woman's cheeks with grief's dews wet;
I softly said, "and sharp regret!
Perchance she mourns a buried love,
Sweet eyes, where grief broods like a dove,
A vanished joy, a broken dream!
Thou showest of hope no cheering gleam.
Sweet soul," I cried, "why dost thou weep?
What woes upon thy young heart weigh?"
I saw the rose flush upward sweep--
Her perfumed breath came fitfully.
She turned and met my ardent gaze,
And said--I list'ning in amaze--
As by her side I shyly sat,
"I kinder want a brand-new hat!"
-Mary Middlemore.
She sat within her ivied bower--
Twas at the twilight's holy hour,
A maiden, lovely as the morn,
Before the silver stars were born.
Tears glistened in her tender eyes,
Her bosom heaved with anguished sighs,
And lay like pearls on her soft cheek;
My heart grew sad, and faint and weak.
Earth holds no sadder sight than this--
What tales they tell of bygone bliss,
A woman's cheeks with grief's dews wet;
I softly said, "and sharp regret!
Perchance she mourns a buried love,
Sweet eyes, where grief broods like a dove,
A vanished joy, a broken dream!
Thou showest of hope no cheering gleam.
Sweet soul," I cried, "why dost thou weep?
What woes upon thy young heart weigh?"
I saw the rose flush upward sweep--
Her perfumed breath came fitfully.
She turned and met my ardent gaze,
And said--I list'ning in amaze--
As by her side I shyly sat,
"I kinder want a brand-new hat!"
-Mary Middlemore.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ballad
Epigram
What themes does it cover?
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Maiden Tears
Humorous Twist
New Hat
Ivied Bower
Twilight Hour
What entities or persons were involved?
Mary Middlemore
Poem Details
Title
The Maiden's Tears.
Author
Mary Middlemore
Key Lines
"I Kinder Want A Brand New Hat!"