To One UnknownBY HELEN D…

To One Unknown
BY HELEN DUDLEY
I have seen the proudest stars
That wander on through space,
Even the sun and moon,
But not your face.

I have heard the violin,
The winds and waves rejoice
in endless minstrelsy,
Yet not your voice.

I have touched the trillium,
Pale flower of the land,
Coral, anemone,
And not your hand.

I have kissed the shining feet
Of Twilight lover-wise,
Opened the gates of Dawn—
Oh not your eyes!

I have dreamed unwonted things,
Visions that witches brew,
Spoken with images,
Never with you.

This poem has a certain extreme rise and steep drop portrayed in each stanza. It almost illustrates a scavenger hunt which the hunter has risen to its highest point of success then realizes, “oh it’s just a tree”. I say this because in each stanza Helen names these beautiful objects such as stars and the sound of violins, but then completely turns the feeling around when she says something like “but never you”. You can obviously tell that the person she was looking for was completely hidden from her. Jus reading this kind of makes you want to ponder on the question, “Who is she looking for?”