'Rhapsody'
William Stanley Braithwaite's short poem expresses the joy of life--just what we need in the January doldrums
I am glad daylong for the gift of song, For time and change and sorrow; For the sunset wings and the world-end things Which hang on the edge of to-morrow. I am glad for my heart whose gates apart Are the entrance-place of wonders, Where dreams come in from the rush and din Like sheep from the rains and thunders.
What we love about this poem…
It’s thoughtful and uplifting and it absolutely nails the bittersweet nature of life. The poem starts on a wholly positive note (rejoicing in ‘the gift of song’), then moves swiftly to ‘time and change and sorrow’. This sequence beautifully captures the inevitability of sadness and loss mixed in amongst all the beauty and delight.
The poem also looks to the future—we especially love the image of ‘the world-end things/Which hang on the edge of to-morrow.’ What might these ‘things’ be? Every reader will have a different definition that is specific to their own contexts.
Best of all for us is Braithwaite’s play on the title word ‘rhapsody’ as both a verbal expression of ecstasy and a specific musical form. A rhapsody in music involves a variety of contrasting moods, tones, and colours, and conveys a sense of spontaneity and impulsiveness stemming from an inspiration in the moment. The poem has those qualities: there is music in the way the words move, along with a whimsicality that feels irresistible.
About the Author
William Stanley Braithwaite (1878-1962) was an African American poet, publisher, critic, writer, and anthologist. He played a key role in disseminating the work of other writers of the Harlem Renaissance as well as his own, largely through his annual Anthology of Magazine Verse.
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