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by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 - 1906)

When Phyllis sighs and from her eyes
Language: English 
When Phyllis sighs and from her eyes
The light dies out; my soul replies
With misery of deep drawn breath,
E'en as it were at war with death.
When Phyllis smiles, her glance beguiles
My heart through lovelit woodland aisles,
And through the silence high and clear,
A wooing warbler's song I hear.
But if she frown, despair comes down,
I put me on my sackcloth gown;
So frown not, Phyllis, lest I die,
But look on me with smile or sigh.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 - 1906), "Response", appears in Lyrics of Love and Laughter, first published 1903 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by H. Leslie Adams (b. 1932), "Love Response" [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by George Theophilus Walker (b. 1922), "Response", published 1971 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-01-11
Line count: 12
Word count: 82

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