7 quotes
No blessed leisure for love or hope,
But only time for grief.
The Song of the Shirt (1843)
Oh, God! that bread should be so dear,
And flesh and blood so cheap!
The Song of the Shirt (1843)
My tears must stop, for every drop
Hinders needle and thread.
The Song of the Shirt (1843)
Sewing at once a double thread,
A shroud as well as a shirt.
The Song of the Shirt (1843)
Work! work! work!
While the cock is crowing aloof!
And work—work—work,
Till the stars shine through the roof!
The Song of the Shirt (1843)
Oh, Men, with Sisters dear!
Oh, Men, with Mothers and Wives!
It is not linen you're wearing out,
But human creatures' lives!
The Song of the Shirt (1843)
With fingers weary and worn,
With eyelids heavy and red,
A woman sat, in unwomanly rags,
Plying her needle and thread—
Stitch! stitch! stitch!
In poverty, hunger, and dirt,
And still with a voice of dolorous pitch
She sang the “Song of the Shirt.”
The Song of the Shirt (1843)