Subscribe: by Email | in Reader

Silence -- Thomas Hood

Inspired by my previous poem...
(Poem #512) Silence
 There is a silence where hath been no sound,
 There is a silence where no sound may be,
 In the cold grave--under the deep, deep, sea,
 Or in wide desert where no life is found,
 Which hath been mute, and still must sleep profound;
 No voice is hushed--no life treads silently,
 But clouds and cloudy shadows wander free,
 That never spoke, over the idle ground:
 But in green ruins, in the desolate walls
 Of antique palaces, where Man hath been,
 Though the dun fox, or wild hyena, calls,
 And owls, that flit continually between,
 Shriek to the echo, and the low winds moan,
 There the true Silence is, self-conscious and alone.
-- Thomas Hood
Today's sonnet is built around an intriguing conceit - that there are two
kinds of silence, that where life has never been, and that which flows back
after man has come and gone.

A beautiful conceit, and beautifully developed - there's not a whole lot it
needs said about it. The use of 'self-conscious' at the end is unusual,
though - while I'm not sure what Hood intended by it, I personally lean
towards 'self-aware', rather than the more modern usage.

Links:

We've run one Hood poem, which includes a biography - see poem #251

-martin

35 comments: ( or Leave a comment )

sandi_ordinario said...

At the outset, the poet defines what he means by
silence. First, silence as absence of sound and;
second, "silence where no sound may be" can be
interpreted as may or may not have sounds. He then
gives illustrations of both. The first as "the cold
grave--under the deep, deep sea..." or in wide
deserts that is without life where clouds and shadows
that never spoke over the idle the ground. There is
essentially no audio communications in these environs.

Then to Hardy, the true silence is expressed by the
absence of man, leaving behind "green ruins, desolate
walls of antique palaces" and only now nature recovers
from a lost culture or civilization, inhabiting these
with foxes, hyenas and owls where only shrieks to echoes
or the moaning of low winds are heard. It bespeaks some
melancholic nostalgia of some sort.

This has the same theme as Carl Sandburg's "Preludes on
the Playthings of the Wind" which I hope should be
published in this website also.

Sandi

viagra online said...

very nice, I think it's a wonderful poem, but you must read something good, like this one:

She loves me-loves me not.
My hands I pick
and having broken my fingers
fling away.
So the first daisy-heads
one happens to flick
are plucked,
and guessing,
scattered into May.
Let a cut and shave
reveal my grey hairs.
Let the silver of the years
ring out endlessly !
Shameful common sense -
I hope, I swear -
Will never come
to me.

I hope you like it, I did it by myself. 23jj

miami web design said...

I have read articles about of this topic but this is unique is very interesting and it has a lot of good information and it was very useful for me... Keep doing that good job thanks for all…

miami office space said...

very warm greetings to all readers of this blog, regarding this article I would like to add that I found very creative, some time ago I tried to blog and the result was not very good, apart this I believe that the information is also cool. In general, congratulations to all who are related to the creation of this article.

Buy cialis said...

Thanks for share, sound like a text that i read some where of business woman who was very fragile as a person and she had to act strong in the world she lived in but finally she get tired of that life and left everything behind.

Ideas de negocios said...

Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, but I am firmly convinced of this and love to learn more about the subject. If possible, acquire knowledge, would you update your blog with more information? It is very helpful to me

Anonymous said...

That was dreadfully the worst thing I have ever heard. Who told you how to write like that? You are wasting your time. Find a new hobby.

Bandar Bola said...

the internet is with a doubt growing into the most important medium of communication across the globe and its due to sites like this that ideas are spreading so quickly. Judi Bola Bola Tangkas

Judi Bola Online said...

I am truly inspired by this online journal! Extremely clear clarification of issues is given and it is open to every living soul. I have perused your post, truly you have given this extraordinary informative data about it. Sbobet Asia

Diakui.com said...

News you wrote is very nice and made ​​me feel at home reading on your website. But I apologize in advance because I wanted to ask you to read the article kata kata lucu, kata kata mutiara, kata kata romantis, kata kata bijak, kata kata cinta, pakar seo and many other interesting articles that can be read on my website (pasang iklan).

fotocopy murah jakarta said...

Good writing and interesting to note, also visit the website jasa fotocopy murah I take care of that today. Thank you,

Unknown said...

Thats interesting fact, thank for sharing, can you explain the method? i thing this is new for me and i plant to visiting this regularry
obat herbal
crystal x asli
obat keputihan
crystal x
Ciri crystal x
I think you mean Portsea! :)

Rizal said...

Thank you for posting such a useful website. Your weblog happens to be not just informative but also very stimulating too. CCTV Jakarta and CCTV Jember and CCTV Surabaya and CCTV Solo and CCTV Surabaya and CCTV Semarang and CCTV Jogja and CCTV Surabaya and CCTV Surabaya and CCTV Bali

kata kata bijak said...

very interesting post thank you for sharing this information with us, it is always a problem thinking if the best thing to write, but from reading this article it really helps.

kata kata cinta said...

Thank you for your very nice article, do not forget to read my articles also
hadirkanlah
kata kata cinta
status fb lucu
wallpaper keren
and many other interesting articles on my blog that.

Unknown said...

This is an excellent post I seen thanks to share it. It is really what I wanted to see hope in future you will continue for sharing such a excellent post.
modern living room

media online indonesia said...

Thank you write this article for me see, I asked permission to write on the website diakui.com wish you deign to allow it

Unknown said...

Thank you for the information you have provided, I was pleased to read the article in this blog.
Living Room Design
Living Room Remodel
Living Room in Spanish
Living Room Toy Storage
Living Room Decor Ideas

kata mutiara kahlil gibran said...

the best poem is yours. good luck.

Admin said...

This is my initial visit below. I was so entertaining things in your blog site, especially its conversation. From the tons of understanding on your articles, I presume I'm not the just one to have all the leisure here! Remains to work well. For a very long time I intended to write something on my site and I provided it a thought

www.babyshowerinvitationswording.org
Cute Baby Shower Invites
Baby Shower Invitations Wording
Baby Shower Invitations For Twins
Baby Shower Invite Template
Cute Invitations Baby Shower

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.

Unknown said...

This is my initial visit below. I was so entertaining things in your blog site, especially its conversation. From the tons of understanding on your articles, I presume I'm not the just one to have all the leisure here! Remains to work well. For a very long time I intended to write something on my site and I provided it a thought

http://www.babyshowerinvitationswording.org
Cute Baby Shower Invites
Baby Shower Invitations Wording
Baby Shower Invitations For Twins
Baby Shower Invite Template
Cute Invitations Baby Shower

Unknown said...

This is my primary see here. I was so amusing stuff in your blog website, specifically its conversation. From the lots of understanding on your reviews, I presume I'm not the merely one to have all the comfort below! Remains to work well. For a long time I wished to develop something on my site and also I gave it a thought, please give some remark for my website


Living Room Ideas
Living Room Windows
Cheap Living Room Decorating Ideas
Living Room Remodel
Living Room Paint
Living Room Ideas Pinterest

Unknown said...

This is line is my favorite that is published in tis poetry My great religion is a belief in the blood, the flesh, as being wiser than the intellect. We can go wrong in our minds. But what our blood feels and believes and says, is always true. The intellect is only a bit
and a bridle.
Rubber Ducky Baby Shower Invitations
Free Baby Shower Invitation Card Template
Free Baby Shower Invitation Card Template
Sample Baby Shower Invitations For A Girl
Baby Shower Invitations For Boy And Girl
Baby Shower Invitations Wording

cheap generic viagra 100mg said...

nice information. It feels really great to read such kind of wonderful piece of writing.
generic viagra online

cetak online said...

buruan cek harga termurah di aqur printing.
kami melayani jasa cetak buku manasik. buku yasin. undangan. novel. id card. nota. dan masih ada yang lainnya

cetak online said...

buruan cek harga termurah di aqur printing.
kami melayani jasa cetak buku manasik. buku yasin. undangan. novel. id card. nota. dan masih ada yang lainnya

Post a Comment