The Garland: ‘What lost love’
Walter de la Mare (“Don’t you just love that name?” asks Biggest Brother) was a short story writer and novelist best known for his works for children. Of his poems, one of the best known is the dreamy and alliterative “Silver”—”Slowly, silently, now the moon/ Walks the night in her silver shoon.” His poem “Why?” is another silver-shining and alliterative poem that appeals to me through its simplicity, dreamy musical quality, and hint of pathos. The poem is included in the 1941 collection Bells and Grass: A Book of Rhymes for children by Walter de La Mare.
°The Garland is my personal anthology of poems. I have been transcribing these by hand in a leather journal, but also wanted to use my blog to share the poems and my thoughts.
Why?
Walter de la Mare
Ever, ever
Stir and shiver
The reeds and rushes
By the river:
Ever, ever,
As if in dream,
The lone moon’s silver
Sleeks the stream.
What old sorrow,
What lost love,
Moon, reeds, rushes,
Dream you of?
Photograph: River Reeds Blowing in the Wind. Pam Photography.
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MEGAN said...
Walter de la Mare is one of my favorite poets! I’ve used his poems in Sparrow Tree Square magazine several times, but, surprisingly enough, I’d never read “Why?” before. It’s quite beautiful; thanks for sharing!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 08:10 PM
HANDMAIDEN said...
I’ve always read this poem with Satie’s Gymnopedie No. 1 playing in my mind. Try it: [http://youtube.com/watch?v=S-Xm7s9eGxU]
My brother and I enjoy quite a bit of de la Mare and are sometimes surprised by how little our favorite poems are known. (Two others are “Rain” from Bells and Grass, and “The Horseman” from Peacock Pie—both describing more lovely nights of blue and silver. And in a different mood entirely—we often respond to Littlest Brother’s constant yawning by quoting, “Poor Tired Tim! It’s sad for him.” :-)
Thursday, April 12, 2012 10:22 AM
Tuesday, April 10, 2012