The Song The Oriole Sings
July 6, 2023Living
July 6, 2023The Bewildered Guest
I WAS not asked if I should like to come.
I have not seen my host here since I came,
Or had a word of welcome in his name.
Some say that we shall never see him, and some
That we shall see him elsewhere, and then know
Why we were bid. How long I am to stay
I have not the least notion. None, they say,
Was ever told when he should come or go.
But every now and then there bursts upon
The song and mirth a lamentable noise,
A sound of shrieks and sobs, that strikes our joys
Dumb in our breasts; and then, some one is gone.
They say we meet him. None knows where or when.
We know we shall not meet him here again.
William Dean Howells
William Dean Howells (1837-1920) was an American author and literary critic who played a significant role in the development of American literature in the late 19th century. He is considered the father of American realism and his most famous works include "The Rise of Silas Lapham" and "A Hazard of New Fortunes." Howells was also a champion of many of his contemporary writers, including Mark Twain and Henry James.