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Poem
February 1, 1878
Essex County Herald
Island Pond, Guildhall, Essex County, Vermont
What is this article about?
A woman expresses her deep yearning to escape the burdens of worry, duty, and endless tasks by lying in a peaceful field of clover, surrounded by nature's serenity, to rest and breathe freely, warning that such unfulfilled desires can lead to despair.
Clipping
OCR Quality
96%
Excellent
Full Text
A Woman's Wish.
Would I were lying in a field of clover,
Of clover cool and soft, and soft and sweet,
With dusky clouds in deep skies hanging over,
And scented silence at my head and feet
Just for one hour to slip the leash of Worry
In eager haste, from Thought's impatient neck,
And watch it coursing—in its heedless hurry
Disdaining Wisdom's whistles—Duty's beck
Ah! it were sweet, where clover clumps are meeting
And daisies hiding, so to hide and rest;
No sound except my own heart's sturdy beating
Rocking itself to sleep within my breast
Just to lie there filled with the deeper breathing
That comes so listening to a dove's song!
Our souls require at times this full unsheathing—
All swords will rust if scabbard-kept too long.
And I am tired! so tired of rigid duty
So tired of all my tired hands find to do!
I yearn, I faint, for some of life's free beauty.
Its loose beads with no straight string running through!
Aye, laugh, if laugh you will, at my crude speech—
But women sometimes die of such a greed;
Die for the small joys held beyond their reach.
And the assurance they have all they need
Would I were lying in a field of clover,
Of clover cool and soft, and soft and sweet,
With dusky clouds in deep skies hanging over,
And scented silence at my head and feet
Just for one hour to slip the leash of Worry
In eager haste, from Thought's impatient neck,
And watch it coursing—in its heedless hurry
Disdaining Wisdom's whistles—Duty's beck
Ah! it were sweet, where clover clumps are meeting
And daisies hiding, so to hide and rest;
No sound except my own heart's sturdy beating
Rocking itself to sleep within my breast
Just to lie there filled with the deeper breathing
That comes so listening to a dove's song!
Our souls require at times this full unsheathing—
All swords will rust if scabbard-kept too long.
And I am tired! so tired of rigid duty
So tired of all my tired hands find to do!
I yearn, I faint, for some of life's free beauty.
Its loose beads with no straight string running through!
Aye, laugh, if laugh you will, at my crude speech—
But women sometimes die of such a greed;
Die for the small joys held beyond their reach.
And the assurance they have all they need
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
Pastoral
What themes does it cover?
Nature Seasons
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Woman's Wish
Field Of Clover
Escape Worry
Rigid Duty
Nature Rest
Dove's Song
Life's Beauty
Poem Details
Title
A Woman's Wish.
Key Lines
Would I Were Lying In A Field Of Clover,
Just For One Hour To Slip The Leash Of Worry
And I Am Tired! So Tired Of Rigid Duty
I Yearn, I Faint, For Some Of Life's Free Beauty.
But Women Sometimes Die Of Such A Greed;