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Friday, September 11, 2009

Poetry Friday: Sweet voices whisper low

Happy Friday!

I have to admit something to you, blog readers: I am totally obsessed with Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. I read it as a kid, of course, and had vague memories of sort of liking it, but mostly relegating it to that pile of "old-fashioned" books that I didn't really understand. I picked it up again last week after Michael mentioned it off-handedly during a meeting, and I've been totally immersed in it ever since. I can see why I didn't adore it as a young girl; the references, for one thing, are still above my head, as a college-educated adult! But I'm loving it now--the plot is wonderful, entertaining, and I really care about these characters, but what really gets me are the descriptions of nineteenth-century domestic life--what a far cry from 2009, but some things are still the same! Babies still refuse to go to sleep, the laundry must still be done, and families gather together in the evenings--now with laptops and iPhones instead of mending and pipe-smoking, but still.

Anyway, I of course had to post a poem by Louisa May Alcott for today's Poetry Friday offering.

      FAIRY SONG

      The moonlight fades from flower and tree,
      And the stars dim one by one;
      The tale is told, the song is sung,
      And the Fairy feast is done.
      The night-wind rocks the sleeping flowers,
      And sings to them, soft and low.
      The early birds erelong will wake:
      'Tis time for the Elves to go.
      O'er the sleeping earth we silently pass,
      Unseen by mortal eye,
      And send sweet dreams, as we lightly float
      Through the quiet moonlit sky;--
      For the stars' soft eyes alone may see,
      And the flowers alone may know,
      The feasts we hold, the tales we tell:
      So 'tis time for the Elves to go.
      From bird, and blossom, and bee,
      We learn the lessons they teach;
      And seek, by kindly deeds, to win
      A loving friend in each.
      And though unseen on earth we dwell,
      Sweet voices whisper low,
      And gentle hearts most joyously greet
      The Elves where'er they go.
      When next we meet in the Fairy dell,
      May the silver moon's soft light
      Shine then on faces gay as now,
      And Elfin hearts as light.
      Now spread each wing, for the eastern sky
      With sunlight soon will glow.
      The morning star shall light us home:
      Farewell! for the Elves must go.

Poetry Friday is hosted at Wild Rose Reader this week.

Enjoy your weekend!
More soon,
Beth

5 comments:

Susan said...

I read Little Women every year of elementary school, beginning with grade 1. I realized the first time I read it that I would understand a little more each time I read it so I made a conscious decision to re-read it every year until I completely understood it! I did the same thing with Rose In Bloom, another Alcott book. I think it's time for me to get out Little Women once more!

Tabatha said...

Fun poem, Beth! I'll have to save it so I can read it again.

Anonymous said...

I love Little Women. Little Men, too, although my recollection is that Jo's Boys made me SOB.

Thanks for sharing her poem!

Marjorie said...

Little Women was the first book to make me cry! I love all Alcott's books - and earlier this year I re-read all four of the Little Women series - I definitely got a lot more out of the last three as an adult. Thanks for this delightful poem :-)

laurasalas said...

Love the first four lines, especially, of this poem. Thanks for sharing!