Night Song at Amalfi

I asked the heaven of stars What I should give my love-- It answered me with silence, Silence above.

I asked the darkened sea Down where the fishers go-- It answered me with silence, Silence below.

Oh, I could give him weeping, Or I could give him song-- But how can I give silence My whole life long?

Sara Teasdale

Mood:: Dreamy
Topics:: silence, love, longing, sea, stars

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Summary

On a night at Amalfi, someone asks the stars and the darkened sea what she should give her love. Both answer only with silence—above and below. That silence becomes the real subject. She knows she could offer weeping or song, the familiar gifts of feeling.

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