Helena Coleman

Helena Coleman was a Canadian poet active in the early twentieth century. Her poetry is known for its lyrical treatment of nature, love, and patriotic themes. Biography ↓More ↓

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Helena Coleman

Masked

She rose to greet her guests with smiling eyes, A wealth of rich experience in her face, Her movements full of that unconscious grace In which a woman's highest power lies; One felt the heart beat true and tenderwise Beneath the velvet folds and filmy lace, Grim sorrow there had seemed to find no place, But only peace and love in loveliest guise. And as with ready wit and kindly mirth She led the throng in repartee and jest, To us she seemed as one from common earth, With all its blighting pain, set far apart And rounded in with peace — who could have guessed A two-edged sword lay buried in her heart !

Helena Coleman

The Reconciler

She knew but one desire, one single aim Consumed her days and robbed her nights of rest — To reconcile the two whom she loved best, Who, long estranged, yet of one household came; And while for this she strove, her gentle frame And tender heart were often sore distressed, For all her longing love and pain repressed Seemed but as fuel added to the flame. But on that day of silence when she passed By unseen pathways to the distant spheres, What life had failed to do, death wrought at last, For they who through the long, embittered years Had spoken not, now stood with hands locked fast, And looked into each other's face with tears.

Biography

Helena Coleman was a Canadian poet who published in the early twentieth century. Her work often explores themes of nature, romance, and national identity, employing traditional verse forms and a musical rhythm. Coleman's collections include Songs and Sonnets (1906) and Marching Men (1917), which reflect her engagement with both personal and public concerns. She was a contemporary of other Canadian poets of the Confederation and post-Confederation periods, though her reputation is more modest. Her poetry was published in Canadian and American periodicals of the time. Coleman's verse is noted for its clarity and emotional directness rather than experimental innovation. She remains a minor but representative figure in early Canadian literary history.

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