  A river went singing a-down to the sea, A-singing—low—singing— And the dim rippling river said softly to me, "I'm bringing, a-bringing— While floating along— A beautiful song To the shores that are white where the waves are so weary, To the beach that is burdened with wrecks that are dreary. "A song sweet and calm As the peacefullest psalm; And the shore that was sad Will be grateful and glad, And the weariest wave from its dreariest dream Will wake to the sound of the song of the stream; And the tempests shall cease And there shall be peace." From the fairest of fountains And farthest of mountains, From the stillness of snow Came the stream in its flow. Down the slopes where the rocks are gray, Through the vales where the flowers are fair— Where the sunlight flashed—where the shadows lay Like stories that cloud a face of care, The river ran on—and on—and on, Day and night, and night and day. Going and going, and never gone, Longing to flow to the "far away." Staying and staying, and never still,— Going and staying, as if one will Said, "Beautiful river, go to the sea," And another will whispered, "Stay with me"— And the river made answer, soft and low, "I go and stay—I stay and go." "But what is the song?" I said at last To the passing river that never passed; And a white, white wave whispered, "List to me, I'm a note in the song for the beautiful sea, A song whose grand accents no earth din may sever, And the river flows on in the same mystic key That blends in one chord the 'forever and never.'" FOOTNOTE:Expression: Read aloud the three lines which introduce the song of the river. Read them in such a manner as to call up a mental picture of the river on its way to the sea. Read the first five lines of the third stanza in a similar way, and tell what picture is now called up in your mind. Now read the river's song. Read what the white wave said. Read the whole poem with spirit and feeling. Notice the words "a-down," "a-singing," "a-bringing." What effect is produced by the use of these unusual forms? |
|
