
by John Charles McNeill - [American (North Carolina) poet. 1874-1907.]
To JOSEPH P. CALDWELL ("The Old Man")
SONGS, MERRY AND SAD
The Bride
"Oh, Ask Me Not"
Isabel
To ———
To Melvin Gardner: Suicide
Away Down Home
For Jane's Birthday
A tender chorus of verses opens with a quiet bride standing alone in a dim hall, her thoughts drifting between sweet memories and a quiet, nameless yearning. The poet moves from intimate confession to broader reflections on love, ambition, and the fragile pull of youth, letting each line echo with both celebration and sigh. Through vivid images of flowers, autumn’s hush, and fleeting summer skies, the work captures moments of joy that sit beside deeper, sometimes somber, meditations on loss and the passage of time.
Later poems turn the ear toward the countryside, where bullfrogs, swallows, and buttercups animate a landscape that feels both familiar and timeless. The voice shifts between lively portraiture of everyday scenes and a contemplative whisper about mortality, inviting listeners to linger on the delicate balance of laughter and grief. In an effortless flow, the collection offers a lyrical journey that feels like a gentle walk through memory, perfect for those who cherish poetry that sings both merrily and mournfully.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (57K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Alan R. Light, and David Widger
Release date
1999-08-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1874–1907
Remembered as one of North Carolina's most beloved early poets, this writer turned the woods, fields, and river country of his boyhood into clear, musical verse. His career was brief, but poems like "Sunburnt Boys" and the 1906 collection "Songs, Merry and Sad" helped secure his lasting place in Southern literature.
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