When Bessie Died
James Whitcomb Riley 1849 (Greenfield) – 1916 (Indianapolis)
If from your own the dimpled hands had slipped,
And ne'er would nestle in your palm again;
If the white feet into the grave had tripped--'
When Bessie died--
We braided the brown hair, and tied
It just as her own little hands
Had fastened back the silken strands
A thousand times-- the crimson bit
Of ribbon woven into it
That she had worn with childish pride--
Smoothed down the dainty bow-- and cried
When Bessie died.
When Bessie died--
We drew the nursery blinds aside,
And as the morning in the room
Burst like a primrose into bloom,
Her pet canary's cage we hung
Where she might hear him when he sung--
And yet not any note he tried,
Though she lay listening folded-eyed.
When Bessie died--
We writhed in prayer unsatisfied:
We begged of God, and He did smile
In silence on us all the while;
And we did see Him, through our tears,
Enfolding that fair form of hers,
She laughing back against His love
The kisses had nothing of--
And death to us He still denied,
When Bessie died--
When Bessie died.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 08, 2023
- 57 sec read
- 78 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | axa BbccddbbB Bbeeffbb BbggxxhhbBB |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 981 |
Words | 188 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 3, 9, 8, 11 |
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"When Bessie Died" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/21177/when-bessie-died>.
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