Growing Blind
Growing Blind - meaning Summary
Quiet Longing at a Gathering
The poem observes a solitary woman at a social gathering whose polite gestures and sudden smile reveal a quiet intensity. The speaker notes her poised, almost performative stillness and bright, reflective eyes, suggesting inner eagerness. She lingers behind the group, following slowly as if she must pass some threshold; once that point is reached she seems ready to abandon restraint and "fly." The mood is one of restrained longing and imminent release.
Read Complete AnalysesAmong all the others there sat a guest Who sipped her tea as if one apart, And she held her cup not quite like the rest; Once she smiled so it pierced one's heart. When the group of people arose at last And laughed and talked in a merry tone, As lingeringly through the rooms they passed I saw that she followed alone. Tense and still like one who to sing must rise Before a throng on a festal night She lifted her head, and her bright glad eyes Were like pools which reflected light. She followed on slowly after the last As though some object must be passed by, And yet as if were it once but passed She would no longer walk but fly.
Translated by Jessie Lamont
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