From The Long Sad Party - A poem by Mark Strand


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Mark Strand - From The Long Sad Party

Someone was saying
something about shadows covering the field, about
how things pass, how one sleeps towards morning
and the morning goes.

Someone was saying
how the wind dies down but comes back,
how shells are the coffins of wind
but the weather continues.

It was a long night
and someone said something about the moon shedding its
   white
on the cold field, that there was nothing ahead
but more of the same.

Someone mentioned
a city she had been in before the war, a room with two
   candles
against a wall, someone dancing, someone watching.
We begin to believe

the night would not end.
Someone was saying the music was over and no one had
   noticed.
Then someone said something about the planets, about the
   stars,
how small they were, how far away.

Added: on June 29th, 2006 at 12:31 PM | Viewed: 3141 times | Comments (1)

From The Long Sad Party - Comments and Information
Poet: Mark Strand Poem: From The Long Sad Party Volume: The Late Hour Year: Published/Written in 1973 Comment 1 of 1, added on June 29th, 2006 at 12:31 PM. Something about this poem suggests that it is not finished. It may be a purposeful attempt to convey that as bad as life was, in retrospect perhaps those were the best of times, having happened before one had the ability to comprehend. And now, even if the music starts, it is a different time, small and insignificant when one ages. Ruth magleby from United States More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, From The Long Sad Party, has received one comment so far. Click here to read it, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Mark Strand with others on the Poetry Connection poetry forum!

Poem Info
From The Long Sad Party Volume: The Late Hour Year: Published/Written in 1973 Last read: 2008-07-04 19:21:01 Viewed 3141 times. Added on June 29th, 2006 at 12:31 PM.

Strand Info
Biography More Poems (16 poems) Books