Bid Me Be Silent
Bid Me Be Silent - meaning Summary
Silence Held Under Compulsion
Goethe’s poem presents a speaker who accepts enforced silence about inner feelings. They claim secrecy is a duty rather than choice, though they could fully disclose their heart. Natural imagery—the sun driving night and stone yielding water—suggests revelation may come in its own time or by greater powers. The speaker longs for intimate companionship but remains bound by secret "charms," implying that only a divine intervention could release their speech.
Read Complete AnalysesBid me be silent, bid me not speak, Secrecy is a duty to me: I could reveal my heart complete, But Fate doesn’t wish it to be. In due season, the sun’s bright path Drives the night away, the light must shine: The hard stone opens its breast at last And yields Earth water from hidden mines. Every man seeks rest in a dear friend’s arms, Where the heart can express its inner pain: But my lips are sealed by secret charms, And none but a god can part them again.
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