Silent Noon
By Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Your hands lie open in the long fresh grass, and
The fingers point like rosy blooms:
Your eyes smile peace. The pasture gleams and glooms
’Neath billowing skies that scatter and amass.
All around our nest, far as the eye can pass,
Are golden kingcup fields with silver edge
Where the cow parsley skirts the hawthorn hedge.
’Tis visible silence, still as the hour glass.
Deep in the sun‑searched growths the dragonfly
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky:
So this winged hour is dropped to us from above.
We clasped our hearts, for deathless dower,
This close companioned inarticulate hour
When twofold silence was the song of love.
Summary of Silent Noon
- About the Poem: “Silent Noon” is a 14‑line poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, first published in his 1880 collection The House of Life. It captures a moment of profound tranquility and intimate connection between two lovers within a richly described pastoral landscape. The poem celebrates the power of shared silence as a form of communication, suggesting that deep understanding can exist beyond the need for words.
- Central Idea: The poem’s core revolves around the notion that genuine connection is not always expressed through speech. Rossetti presents a scene where lovers find profound intimacy in shared silence, portraying this “silent noon” as a precious and enduring moment, a sanctuary from the world’s noise and demands. The poem suggests that true love allows for a meaningful connection that transcends verbal communication.
- Key Themes: Peace, stillness, and non‑verbal connection are central to “Silent Noon.” The poem’s imagery focuses on the natural world, creating an atmosphere of tranquility and serenity. It emphasizes the importance of being present in the moment and cherishing the quiet intimacy shared between loved ones. The poem also touches on the fleeting nature of time and the need to appreciate such moments of connection.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Silent Noon
Rossetti skillfully employs a range of literary devices to enrich the poem’s meaning and create a vivid, sensory experience for the reader. These devices work together to build the poem’s atmosphere and deepen its themes.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds creates musicality and emphasizes certain words. For example, in the line, “All around our nest, far as the eye can pass,” the long “a” sound gives the line a flowing, lyrical quality.
- Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds adds emphasis and rhythm. The phrase “deathless dower” uses alliteration to draw attention to this significant moment, highlighting its lasting quality.
- Consonance: Similar to alliteration, consonance focuses on the repetition of consonant sounds within words. The repetition of the “s” sound in “’Tis visible silence, still as the hour glass” reinforces the theme of quietude.
- Enjambment: Rossetti frequently uses enjambment—the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next—to create a sense of flow and momentum. Lines such as “We clasped our hearts, for deathless dower, This close companioned inarticulate hour” illustrate this technique, mirroring the unbroken connection between the lovers.
- Imagery: The poem is rich in vivid imagery that appeals to the senses, particularly sight. Descriptions like “golden kingcup fields” and “cow parsley skirts the hawthorn hedge” immerse the reader in a pastoral landscape, evoking idyllic beauty.
- Metaphor: Rossetti uses metaphors to connect abstract concepts to concrete images. The comparison of the dragonfly to “a blue thread loosened from the sky” is striking, suggesting fragility, delicacy, and the transient nature of beauty.
- Symbolism: Elements within the poem carry symbolic weight. The grass represents life, growth, and renewal. Silence symbolizes intimacy—a deep connection between the lovers—and a respite from the world’s noise. The dragonfly, a fleeting presence, symbolizes the transient nature of beauty and time.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Silent Noon
Beyond literary devices, Rossetti employs specific poetic techniques to shape the poem’s form and meaning. These techniques contribute to the poem’s overall aesthetic effect and reinforce its themes.
- Diction and Tone: The diction is formal and lyrical, reflecting the Romantic and Aesthetic movements of the time. The tone is peaceful, contemplative, and reverent, evoking a sense of quiet joy and profound connection.
- Rhyme Pattern: Unlike a strict Petrarchan sonnet, “Silent Noon” features an irregular rhyme scheme. The first quatrain follows an ABAB pattern, the second quatrain a CDDC pattern, and the final quatrain is largely unrhymed with a brief couplet at the end.
- Structure: The poem consists of four quatrains—four-line stanzas—typical of sonnet form, which provides a framework for developing the poem’s ideas and themes.
- Form: Though it is 14 lines, “Silent Noon” is not a Petrarchan sonnet in the strict sense because it does not follow the ABBA ABBA CDECDE scheme. It remains a sonnet in its length and the way it explores complex emotions within a concise framework.
Quotes to Be Used
The following lines are particularly resonant and can be used to express deep love and connection:
We clasped our hearts, for deathless dower,
This close companioned inarticulate hour
When twofold silence was the song of love.
This quote encapsulates the poem’s central theme—the power of shared silence and the enduring nature of love. It serves as a beautiful reminder that sometimes, the most profound connections transcend words, and true intimacy can be found in simply being present with another.