‘It Snows’ by Hannah Flagg Gould

Summary

The website content features a reflective poem titled 'It Snows' by Hannah Flagg Gould, accompanied by a painting named 'Drifting Silence' by Susan Alison, and provides insights into Gould's life and work, emphasizing the rejuvenating power of classic poetry and creative expression.

Abstract

The webpage presents a poetic exploration of a snowy scene through the poem 'It Snows' by Hannah Flagg Gould, an American poet born in 1789. The poem is complemented by Susan Alison's painting 'Drifting Silence,' creating a synergy of visual and written art. Gould's background, including her role as a caretaker for her father after her mother's death and her reputation for vivacity and wit, is highlighted to give context to her work. The page also touches on the impact of Gould's poetry, which often personified nature, as seen in her work 'A Name in the Sand.' The poem and accompanying essay reflect on the transient nature of life and the importance of creativity. The page concludes with a nod to the public domain status of the poem and provides links to other classic poems and resources on using public domain material, as well as information on how to support Susan Alison's work through memberships and purchases.

Opinions

The author of the webpage expresses admiration for Hannah Flagg Gould's ability to infuse nature with human intelligence and emotion in her poetry.
The page suggests that reading classic poetry, such as Gould's 'It Snows,' can offer a refreshing perspective and inspire creativity in today's readers.
The inclusion of Susan Alison's painting alongside the poem implies a belief in the complementary nature of different art forms to enhance the viewer/reader's experience.
The author values the preservation and sharing of public domain works, emphasizing the importance of understanding the legalities involved in their use.
The promotion of Susan Alison's membership links and newsletter sign-up indicates an opinion that readers should engage with and support contemporary artists and writers.

‘It Snows’

It snows! it snows! from out the sky The feathered flakes, how fast they fly, Like little birds, that don’t know why They’re on the chase, from place to place, While neither can the other trace. It snows! it snows! a merry play Is o’er us, on this heavy day!

As dancers in an airy hall, That hasn’t room to hold them all, While some keep up, and others fall, The atoms shift, then, thick and swift, They drive along to form the drift, That weaving up, so dazzling white, Is rising like a wall of light.

But, now the wind comes whistling loud, To snatch and waft it, as a cloud, Or giant phantom in a shroud; It spreads! it curls! it mounts and whirls, At length, a mighty wing unfurls; And then, away! but, where, none knows, Or ever will. — It snows! it snows!

To-morrow will the storm be done; Then, out will come the golden sun: And we shall see, upon the run Before his beams, in sparkling streams, What now a curtain o’er him seems. And thus, with life, it ever goes; ‘T is shade and shine! — It snows! it snows!

Hannah Flagg Gould was born in 1789. Her father was one of a small company who fought in the first battle of the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Lexington. After her mother died, Hannah, who was still a child at this point, took over his care. It sounds as if she was the light of his life.

It also sounds as if she provided light for a lot of other people who flocked to her side for her vivacious personality. She had a ready wit and could be relied upon to share around her cheerfulness.

Her first book of poetry was published by some of her friends without her knowledge. How fab is that! She went on to publish another ten volumes of poetry and one of prose.

She was known for making “… things of nature think and speak as if they were real persons” and for “… investing every thing in nature with a human intelligence.”

She wrote ‘A Name in the Sand’ as a way of saying that we are a tad too quick to overestimate our own importance:

“Alone I walked on the ocean strand, A pearly shell was in my hand; I stooped, and wrote upon the sand My name, the year, the day. As onward from the sport I passed, One lingering look behind I cast, A wave came rolling high and fast, And washed my lines away.”

My own creativity is always refreshed by reading the creative works of others — especially some of the classic poems, knowing they were written in a different world at a different time, with a different mindset.

Other classic poems:

Stuff you need to know about the use of other people’s work:

CREATIVE REFRESHMENT

‘It Snows’ by Hannah Flagg Gould

‘Drifting Silence’ — painting by Susan Alison

‘It Snows’

‘Winter’ by James W. Whilt

‘Starry, starry night’ — painting by Susan Alison

‘Before the Snow’ by Bliss Carman

‘A gleam in winter’ — painting by Susan Alison

‘Sea Fever’ by John Masefield

Classic, salty goodness!

Using Public Domain Material

How to avoid the potholes that lead to inadvertently infringing someone’s rights

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