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Poem
April 24, 1851
The Mountain Sentinel
Ebensburg, Cambria County, Pennsylvania
What is this article about?
A sailor gives his beloved a seashell as a memento before sailing, but his ship wrecks at sea, leaving her mad and hearing the sea's murmur in the shell, mistaking village chimes for death music.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
POETRY:
THE MURMUR OF THE SHELL.
BY THE HON. MRS. NORTON.
A sailor left his native land,
A simple gift he gave;
A sea-shell gathered by his hand,
From out the rippling wave;
Oh, love, by this remember me!
Far inland thou must dwell.
But thou shalt hear the sounding sea,
In the murmur of the shell.
Ah, woe is me! with tatter'd sail
The ship is wildly tost!
A drowning cry is on the gale,
They sink—and all are lost!
While happy yet untouched by fear,
Repeating his farewell,
Poor Mary smiles, and loves to hear
The murmur of the shell.
The tidings wreck'd her simple brain;
And smiling now she goes,
A mad girl—reckless of her pain—
Unconscious of her woes;
But when they ring the village chimes,
That toll'd the lover's knell.
She sighs and says she hears at times
Death-music in the shell!
THE MURMUR OF THE SHELL.
BY THE HON. MRS. NORTON.
A sailor left his native land,
A simple gift he gave;
A sea-shell gathered by his hand,
From out the rippling wave;
Oh, love, by this remember me!
Far inland thou must dwell.
But thou shalt hear the sounding sea,
In the murmur of the shell.
Ah, woe is me! with tatter'd sail
The ship is wildly tost!
A drowning cry is on the gale,
They sink—and all are lost!
While happy yet untouched by fear,
Repeating his farewell,
Poor Mary smiles, and loves to hear
The murmur of the shell.
The tidings wreck'd her simple brain;
And smiling now she goes,
A mad girl—reckless of her pain—
Unconscious of her woes;
But when they ring the village chimes,
That toll'd the lover's knell.
She sighs and says she hears at times
Death-music in the shell!
What sub-type of article is it?
Ballad
What themes does it cover?
Death Mourning
Love Courtship
What keywords are associated?
Sailor
Seashell
Shipwreck
Madness
Mourning
Farewell
What entities or persons were involved?
By The Hon. Mrs. Norton.
Poem Details
Title
The Murmur Of The Shell.
Author
By The Hon. Mrs. Norton.
Subject
Sailor's Farewell And Shipwreck
Form / Style
Rhymed Stanzas
Key Lines
A Sailor Left His Native Land,
A Simple Gift He Gave;
Oh, Love, By This Remember Me!
But Thou Shalt Hear The Sounding Sea,
In The Murmur Of The Shell.
The Tidings Wreck'd Her Simple Brain;
She Sighs And Says She Hears At Times
Death Music In The Shell!