A poem should be palpable and mute
As a globed fruit,
Dumb
As old medallions to the thumb,
Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
Of casement ledges where the moss has grown–
A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds.
*
A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs,
Leaving, as the moon releases
Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,
Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,
Memory by memory the mind–
A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs.
*
A poem should be equal to:
Not true.
For all the history of grief
An empty doorway and a maple leaf.
For love
The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea–
A poem should not mean
But be.
(Archibald MacLeish)
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Based on Topics: Mind Poems, Time Poems, Nature Poems, Birds Poems, Literature Poems, Grief Poems, Memory Poems, Winter Poems, Poetry Poems, History PoemsBased on Keywords: wordless, ledges, globed, releases