Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Permissions
- Introduction: ‘Slow Tide on Tide of History’: Poetry by Women in Ireland, 1870–1970
- A Note on the Texts
- Elizabeth Varian (1821–1851–1896)
- Emily Hickey (1845–1881–1924)
- Katharine Tynan (1858–1885–1931)
- Autumnal
- August Weather
- Poppy
- Mater Dei
- To the Mother
- Joining the Colours
- The Long Vacation
- The Immortal
- Loneliness
- The Image
- Herbal
- The Vestal
- The First Thrush
- The Purblind Praises the Lord
- Any Woman
- For my Father
- To the Beloved
- For Lord Lucas
- Alice Meynell
- For Your Sake
- The Silent Time
- Dora Sigerson Shorter (1866–1893–1918)
- Eva Gore-Booth (1870–1898–1926)
- Emily Lawless (1845–1902–1913)
- Susan L. Mitchell (1866–1906–1926)
- Alice Milligan (1866–1908–1953)
- Winifred M. Letts (1881–1913–1972)
- Eileen Shanahan (1901–[1921]–1979)
- Mary Devenport O'Neill (1879–1929–1967)
- Blanaid Salkeld (1880–1933–1959)
- Sheila Wingfield (1906–1938–1992)
- Freda Laughton (1907–1945–?)
- Rhoda Coghill 1903–1948–2000
- Appendix 1: Irish Women Poets 1870–1970
- Appendix 2: Chronology
- Select Bibliography
- Index of Titles and First Lines
The Purblind Praises the Lord
from Katharine Tynan (1858–1885–1931)
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Permissions
- Introduction: ‘Slow Tide on Tide of History’: Poetry by Women in Ireland, 1870–1970
- A Note on the Texts
- Elizabeth Varian (1821–1851–1896)
- Emily Hickey (1845–1881–1924)
- Katharine Tynan (1858–1885–1931)
- Autumnal
- August Weather
- Poppy
- Mater Dei
- To the Mother
- Joining the Colours
- The Long Vacation
- The Immortal
- Loneliness
- The Image
- Herbal
- The Vestal
- The First Thrush
- The Purblind Praises the Lord
- Any Woman
- For my Father
- To the Beloved
- For Lord Lucas
- Alice Meynell
- For Your Sake
- The Silent Time
- Dora Sigerson Shorter (1866–1893–1918)
- Eva Gore-Booth (1870–1898–1926)
- Emily Lawless (1845–1902–1913)
- Susan L. Mitchell (1866–1906–1926)
- Alice Milligan (1866–1908–1953)
- Winifred M. Letts (1881–1913–1972)
- Eileen Shanahan (1901–[1921]–1979)
- Mary Devenport O'Neill (1879–1929–1967)
- Blanaid Salkeld (1880–1933–1959)
- Sheila Wingfield (1906–1938–1992)
- Freda Laughton (1907–1945–?)
- Rhoda Coghill 1903–1948–2000
- Appendix 1: Irish Women Poets 1870–1970
- Appendix 2: Chronology
- Select Bibliography
- Index of Titles and First Lines
Summary
They cannot know, the keen of sight,
The lovely things I see.
I praise the Lord both day and night That He remembers me.
I see the tree in its new leaf,
A burning bush of green;
Green beyond wonder and belief
Its soft and silken sheen.
I cannot see the birds in boughs,
But an enchanted choir
Sings all day long in a hid house
Of emerald, flame and fire.
I cannot tell where hills leave off
And where the clouds begin:
Such mountains, Alp on Alp, above,
No eye hath ever seen.
Pink blossom on the apple–branch
For me's a rosy bower—
The cherry tree an avalanche
Of snow–white flower on flower.
My distant candle's misted round
With gold and glittering air,
An angel with a glory crowned
Upon the heavenly stair.
I miss the common and the dull,
The small details of things,
And only keep the beautiful,
The stars, the flowers, the wings.
I see the faces that are dear,
The others they may pass.
I thank my God I see not clear,
But dim, as in a glass.
Yea, though the world should slip from sight,
And I no more should see,
I'll praise my God both day and night
That He remembers me.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Poetry by Women in IrelandA Critical Anthology 1870–1970, pp. 94 - 95Publisher: Liverpool University PressPrint publication year: 2012