Explore "Despair" by Madison Cawein on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Shut in with phantoms of life's hollow hopes, / And shadows of old sins satiety slew, / And the young ghosts of the dead dreams love knew, / Out of the day into the night she gropes. / Behind her, high the silvered summit slopes / Of strength and faith, she will not turn to view; / But towards the cave of weakness, harsh of hue, / She goes, where all the dropsied horror ropes. / There is a voice of waters in her ears, / And on her brow a wind that never dies: / One is the anguish of desired tears; / One is the sorrow of unuttered sighs; / And, burdened with the immemorial years, / Downward she goes with never lifted eyes.