The Silence Now

May Sarton

The title of Sarton’s luminous verse collection alludes to its underlying theme: old age. It’s a time when she has “more of everything to care for, to maintain.” Her powers of observation have deepened: a cat’s footfall on the stairs “speaks of an eternal Now.” In beautifully simple language shorn of all artifice, she speaks directly and with wisdom about grief, loneliness, death, coming to terms with one’s life. There are a few topical poems, such as her inspirational hymn on the AIDS crisis and a sociological piece about the impact of the feminist movement on macho attitudes.

status	Copy #1 (8610): in
genre	Literature and Fiction » Poetry
publisher	Penguin Books
publish date	1988
popularity	checked out 0 time(s)