Sweet Bells Jangled: Laura Redden Searing, A Deaf Poet Restored

Contents

Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi A Brief Biography of Laura Redden Searing Judy Yaeger Jones 1 Laura Redden Searing: A Restored Voice in American Poetry Jane E. Vallier 21 Idyls of Battle The Red, White, and Blue 37 In Time of War 38 Left on the Battle-Field 39 To the Earnest Thinkers 40 De Profundis 41 The Story of Sumter 42 Watch-Night 44 The Legend of Our Victories 45 The Latest War News 48 Baker 49 The Snow in October 50 An Appeal 52 The Graves of Gettysburg 54 The Snow at Fredericksburg 55 The President’s Proclamation 56 A Greeting for a New Year 57 The Volunteer’s Return 58 My Absent Soldier 60 Butler’s Black Brigade 62 The Quiet Man 63 My Story 64 The Last Poem 66 Dedicatory Poems A Farewell 67 Wilhelmine 68 Dear Mother 70 Thirty Years 72 To John Greenleaf Whittier 73 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet 74 The Unveiling of the Fountain 76 Little Footprints 77 Guessing 78 Birthrights 79 Sweet Bells Jangled Prelibatory 81 Sweet Bells Jangled 82 Lover’s Leaves To My Rightful Readers 141 My Past 142 An After Song 143 The Home of the Gentians 143 A Rhyme of the Maple Tree 144 Troth-Plight 145 One Kiss Before We Part 147 Entre Nous 148 Two Songs of One Singer 150 The Door Between 152 Afraid 152 Et Tu? 153 You and I! 154 vi Contents Only Her Hand 155 Amy at the Window 157 Ruse de Guerre 159 A Woman’s Complaint 161 Violets in Autumn 163 Which Is Best? 164 Breton Peasants 165 A Love-Song of Sorrento 167 A Sicilian Midnight Madrigal 169 Mazzini 171 At the Grave of Keats 173 Broken Off 175 Disarmed 176 An Empty Nest 177 With White Hands 179 Hail and Farewell 180 But Once 181 At Dawn 182 A Woman’s Questioning 183 At Work 183 Ten Years of Silence 184 Exorcism 185 Summer Morning Delights 186 Corrinna Confesses 187 The Confessional 189 A Nineteenth-Century Fashion 191 Broken Toys 192 Half and Half 193 At Odds 195 Snow-flowers 196 Seniority 197 At Eventide 198 Væ Patriæ 200 December in California 201 The Hills of Santa Cruz 203 The Realm of Singing The Realm of Singing 206 Contents vii ...