Silence - A poem by Marianne Moore

Marianne Moore - Silence

My father used to say,
"Superior people never make long visits,
have to be shown Longfellow's grave
nor the glass flowers at Harvard.
Self reliant like the cat --
that takes its prey to privacy,
the mouse's limp tail hanging like a shoelace from its mouth --
they sometimes enjoy solitude,
and can be robbed of speech
by speech which has delighted them.
The deepest feeling always shows itself in silence;
not in silence, but restraint."
Nor was he insincere in saying, "Make my house your inn."
Inns are not residences.

Added: on July 18th, 2006 at 10:16 PM | Viewed: 7073 times | Comments (5)

Silence - Comments and Information
Poet: Marianne Moore Poem: Silence Volume: Observations Year: Published/Written in 1924 Comment 5 of 5, added on October 5th, 2009 at 4:43 AM. Though Longfellow is buried in the Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA, and I have no idea where Marianne Moore's father's "Inn" was - or if she is even the speaker of this poem. ea Comment 4 of 5, added on October 5th, 2009 at 11:40 AM. Lindsey, Have to be shown Longfellow's grave refers to the fact that a famous author was buried nearby where Marianne Moore grew up and that her father was disgusted by houseguests who would need to be shown around like tourists and not just be able to fend for themselves. ea Comment 3 of 5, added on July 18th, 2006 at 10:16 PM. If her father really said this, then kudo! The wit in this poem is fantastic. Any parent trying to encourage their children to "leave the nest" should remember to call the house an inn. This poem reads like a proverb--wise sayings. It's like taffy--just waiting to be pulled apart and savored. dallas More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Silence, has received 5 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Marianne Moore with others on the Poetry Connection poetry forum!

Poem Info
Silence Volume: Observations Year: Published/Written in 1924 Last read: 2009-11-20 11:39:15 Viewed 7073 times. Added on July 18th, 2006 at 10:16 PM.

Moore Info
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