
A sweeping, lyric tribute unfolds in a single, richly textured voice that celebrates the mystery and strength of womanhood. Drawing on biblical allusion, pastoral scenery, and a Romantic reverence for nature, the poem weaves together love, grief, and the yearning for divine connection. Its language is both intimate and expansive, turning personal devotion into a meditation on the sacred role of mothers, wives, and sisters in the human story.
The opening section carries the narrator back to a bucolic childhood in Connecticut, recalling sun‑lit streams and the tender moments that shape his early hopes. From those quiet beginnings, the work moves through youthful longing, the ache of ambition, and the first stirrings of a deeper spiritual quest. Listeners will be drawn into a tapestry of vivid images and heartfelt reflections that linger long after the first act concludes.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (213K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Al Haines
Release date
2020-10-10
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1819–1881
A 19th-century American man of letters, he moved with ease between poetry, fiction, essays, and magazine publishing. His work spoke to a broad popular audience and helped shape literary culture in the years after the Civil War.
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