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Poem
February 26, 1874
Worcester Daily Press
Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
What is this article about?
A nostalgic elegy recounting the speaker's departure from the family home on the hill, leaving loved ones behind, now ruined and evoking memories of loss and affection under the moonlight.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
[Written for the Daily Press.]
THE HOUSE ON THE HILL.
Yes: it rains to-night through the shadows of time,
That morning I quitted the door
Of the house on the hill, leaving dear ones behind
Whose voices I never heard more.
How they clung to my neck, and implored me to stay-
Their prayers live in memory still-
Ah! I answered them not, but turned sadly away-
Turned away from the house on the hill.
Since then, sad and lone, in the silence of night
Oft I've gazed at the firmament blue:
And fancied I saw, in the moon's misty light,
Their faces so loving and true.
Their smile of affection came back, and their song
Through the wind would mournfully thrill.
As its echoes of old floated sweetly among
The trees near the house on the hill.
By the crumbling old walls, in the twilight I stood-
How changed since that morning before:-
The owl 'mong its eaves undisturbed, reared her brood
And scowled as I entered the door
Though dismal, and lonely, and ruined, 'twas here
That they dwelt; and their memory still
Made sacred the ruins, and hallowed the tear
I shed in the house on the hill.
S.F.P,
Cherry Valley, Mass., Feb. 21, 1874
THE HOUSE ON THE HILL.
Yes: it rains to-night through the shadows of time,
That morning I quitted the door
Of the house on the hill, leaving dear ones behind
Whose voices I never heard more.
How they clung to my neck, and implored me to stay-
Their prayers live in memory still-
Ah! I answered them not, but turned sadly away-
Turned away from the house on the hill.
Since then, sad and lone, in the silence of night
Oft I've gazed at the firmament blue:
And fancied I saw, in the moon's misty light,
Their faces so loving and true.
Their smile of affection came back, and their song
Through the wind would mournfully thrill.
As its echoes of old floated sweetly among
The trees near the house on the hill.
By the crumbling old walls, in the twilight I stood-
How changed since that morning before:-
The owl 'mong its eaves undisturbed, reared her brood
And scowled as I entered the door
Though dismal, and lonely, and ruined, 'twas here
That they dwelt; and their memory still
Made sacred the ruins, and hallowed the tear
I shed in the house on the hill.
S.F.P,
Cherry Valley, Mass., Feb. 21, 1874
What sub-type of article is it?
Elegy
What themes does it cover?
Death Mourning
What keywords are associated?
House On The Hill
Family Departure
Nostalgic Lament
Ruined Home
Memory Of Loved Ones
What entities or persons were involved?
S.F.P.
Poem Details
Title
The House On The Hill.
Author
S.F.P.
Key Lines
Yes: It Rains To Night Through The Shadows Of Time,
That Morning I Quitted The Door
Of The House On The Hill, Leaving Dear Ones Behind
Whose Voices I Never Heard More.
I Shed In The House On The Hill.