Quiet — Summary

MaskedSaintContemplative

House is quiet, Very, very still, Dark and silent, No sounds either, Not a whisper, Not a voice, Not an utter, Not a trickle, Not a scatter, Not a clatter, Not a wind, Nor a cat, is heard, Only silence, Never more, Just a hush, But not heard, The creeping, Of shadows, The yawning, Of rustling, The whisper, Of falling asleep, The humble, Of honest dreams, House is quiet, Not a sound, Is heard, Only nothing but silence, Is invisible.

Show the whole poemHide the poem

Learn Poems app

Try the Learn Poems app

Everything from the website trainer, and more: new exercises, voice recording and sharing, reminders, quick review.

Quiet is the whole subject here. The speaker describes a house at night, still and dark, and keeps stripping away every possible noise: no voices, no wind, no cat, not even a trickle or a scatter. The repeated "Not a..." lines work like someone tiptoeing through the rooms, checking each corner and finding nothing.

Then the poem shifts. Instead of sounds, the speaker notices things that can't really be heard: shadows creeping, rustling yawning, the "whisper of falling asleep," the "humble of honest dreams." These are gentle, almost tender images, so the silence feels peaceful rather than frightening. The speaker seems calm, even a little in awe of the stillness.

The mood is hushed and drowsy. The short, broken lines slow the reading down, and the repeated opening line, "House is quiet," returns at the end like a lullaby. The last line, with silence called "invisible," leaves a slightly strange, dreamlike feeling, as though the quiet is so complete it disappears.

Read also

More by MaskedSaint

All poems
InspiredMaskedSaint

Trust Me

I know it's so hard now, Just stop and look at me, I'm saying this right now, 'Cause I'm out of options,
AnxiousMaskedSaint

What Are We?

What we seem is a lie, What we crave are desires, What we aspire we'll never reach, What we reach crumbles,
InspiredMaskedSaint

So Strong

When great loss is gained, We all weep 'til dawn, Some would search meaning, Some would fall and fade,