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by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)

Grief
Language: English 
I tell you, hopeless grief is passionless;
  That only men incredulous of despair,
  Half-taught in anguish, through the midnight air
Beat upward to God's throne in loud access
Of shrieking and reproach. Full desertness
  In souls as countries lieth silent-bare
  Under the blanching, vertical eye-glare
Of the absolute Heavens. Deep-hearted man, express
Grief for thy Dead in silence like to death --	 
  Most like a monumental statue set
In everlasting watch and moveless woe
Till itself crumble to the dust beneath.
  Touch it; the marble eyelids are not wet:
If it could weep, it could arise and go.

First published in Graham's Magazine, 1842, rev. 1844

Text Authorship:

  • by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861) [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 Gary Carpenter , "Grief" [ mezzo-soprano or contralto and piano ], from Love's Eternity - Five Songs of Elizabeth Barrett Browning for Mezzo (or Contralto) & Piano, no. 2, Camden Music [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 - 1912), "Grief", op. 42 no. 3, published 1900 [ alto and orchestra ], from The Soul's Expression, no. 3, London: Novello [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Ned Rorem (1923 - 2022), "Grief", 2002 [ medium voice, violin, cello, and piano ], from Aftermath, no. 7, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-12-16
Line count: 14
Word count: 97

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