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by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 - 1950)

Wraith
Language: English 
"Thin Rain, whom are you haunting,
That you haunt my door?"
-- Surely it is not I she's wanting;
Someone living here before --
"Nobody's in the house but me:
You may come in if you like and see."

Thin as thread, with exquisite fingers, --
Have you seen her, any of you? --
Grey shawl, and leaning on the wind,
And the garden showing through?

Glimmering eyes, -- and silent, mostly,
Sort of a whisper, sort of a purr,
Asking something, asking it over,
If you get a sound from her. --

Ever see her, any of you? --
Strangest thing I've ever known, --
Every night since I moved in,
And I came to be alone.

"Thin Rain, hush with your knocking!
You may not come in!
This is I that you hear rocking;
Nobody's with me, nor has been!"

Curious, how she tried the window, --
Odd, the way she tries the door, --
Wonder just what sort of people
Could have had this house before . . .

Text Authorship:

  • by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 - 1950), "Wraith", appears in Second April, first published 1921 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Eric Ewazen (b. 1954), "Wraith", 1990 [ high voice and piano ], from Three Lyrics of Edna St. Vincent Millay, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Ivana M. Themmen , "Wraith" [ soprano and orchestra ], from Shelter this candle from the wind [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-06-04
Line count: 26
Word count: 162

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