Death & Dying

Hollow-sounding and Mysterious

by Christina Rossetti 1830–1894

From A Pageant and Other Poems (1881)

Death & Dying

There's no replying
To the Wind's sighing,
Telling, foretelling,
Dying, undying,
Dwindling and swelling,
Complaining, droning,
Whistling and moaning,
Ever beginning,
Ending, repeating,
Hinting and dinning,
Lagging and fleeting--
We've no replying
Living or dying
To the Wind's sighing.

What are you telling,
Variable Wind-tone?
What would be teaching,
O sinking, swelling,
Desolate Wind-moan?
Ever for ever
Teaching and preaching,
Never, ah never
Making us wiser--
The earliest riser
Catches no meaning,
The last who hearkens
Garners no gleaning
Of wisdom's treasure,
While the world darkens:--
Living or dying,
In pain, in pleasure,
We've no replying
To wordless flying
Wind's sighing.

MLA

Rossetti, Christina. “Hollow-sounding and Mysterious.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/rossetti_c/391/.

Chicago

Rossetti, Christina. “Hollow-sounding and Mysterious.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/rossetti_c/391/.

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