The House Was Quiet and the World Was Calm by Wallace Stevens
The house was quiet and the world was calm.
The reader became the book; and summer night
Was like the conscious being of the book.
The house was quiet and the world was calm.
The words were spoken as if there was no book,
Except that the reader leaned above the page,
Wanted to lean, wanted much most to be
The scholar to whom his book is true, to whom
The summer night is like a perfection of thought.
The house was quiet because it had to be.
The quiet was part of the meaning, part of the mind:
The access of perfection to the page.
And the world was calm. the truth in a calm world,
In which there is no other meaning, itself
Is calm, itself is summer and night, itself
Is the reader leaning late and reading there.
For my Lucy, calm and quiet, my reading girl.
Finally joined! I was inspired because I could hear you beautiful voice as I read the poem & of course could see Lucy, legs tucked under her, reading peacefully. What a lovely way to start my day. x
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, Melissa; it's beautiful. Reminds me of our nights, every night, after dinner when we all settle into our quiet time. No t.v., just calm throughout the house, the kids 'leaning' over their books. I always feel so good, knowing all is well in my universe. Lovely to be reminded.
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