by Glendon Watson
I am looking for a poem that ends with "why should I sorrowing go, have i not lived"
ANSWER: by Wellesley
Hey Glendon Watson,
Thanks for asking!
I am intrigued by poems and poetry, and so I gladly went on a research journey to find this poem for you.
And boy I tell you it was quite a journey.
I learned so much! Including a lot of great lessons about the author, 'the literary nationalist', Una Marson, described by the Jamaica Journal in 1983, as "a woman before her time".
I felt bad that it was actually the first time I was hearing of her! You learn more about Una below.
Anyway to answer your question, after deep research, I found the words you quoted in a book titled "Contemporary Caribbean Womens Poetry: Making Style", page 18.
It included the following extract from the poem, which is apparently called 'Confession'.
And yes, it concluded just as you stated, ‘Why should I/Sorrowing go?/ Have I not lived?’
I regret nothing
I have lived
I have loved
I have known laughter
And dance and song,
I have sighed
I have prayed,
I have soared
On fleecy clouds
To the gates
Of heaven,
I have sunk
Deep down
In the pit
Of hell.
(The Moth, p. 63)
I also went further and checked on Amazon to see if they have any books or reference to it, and YES, I found a book, written by Una Marson herself, Una Marson: Selected Poems (Caribbean Modern Classics).
I haven't read it but it apparently has the poem you requested, and several of her best poems! I suggest you check it out over there.
Thanks again for asking and all the best!About Una Maud Marson
According to the National Library Of Jamaica...
Una Maud (1905-1965) was a social Worker, poet, broadcaster, play-wright, journalist, author, feminist and lecturer. She was born in 1905 at Santa Cruz, St.
Elizabeth (Jamaica) and was the youngest daughter of the lata Rev. Solomon Isaac Marson, a Baptist Pastor, and Ada Wilhelmina his wife. She was earlier educated at Hampton High School for Girls.
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