by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894 - 1962)
the hours rise up putting off stars and...
Language: English
the hours rise up putting off stars and it is dawn into the street of the sky light walks scattering poems on earth a candle is extinguished the city wakes with a song upon her mouth having death in her eyes and it is dawn the world goes forth to murder dreams... i see in the street where strong men are digging bread and i see the brutal faces of people contented hideous hopeless cruel happy and it is day, in the mirror i see a frail man dreaming dreams dreams in the mirror and it is dusk on earth a candle is lighted and it is dark. the people are in their houses the frail man is in his bed the city sleeps with death upon her mouth having a song in her eyes the hours descend, putting on stars... in the street of the sky night walks scattering poems
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Text Authorship:
- by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894 - 1962), appears in Tulips and Chimneys, in 1. Tulips, in 6. Impressions, first published 1923 [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 Ellen Mandel , "the hours rise up putting off stars" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Janine Mehrtens , "The hours rise up", 1992 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-03-11
Line count: 33
Word count: 151