Sonnet 1 and 2

Sonnet 1 and 2- Gwendolyn Bennett

1.

He came in silvern armour, trimmed with black--

A lover come from legends long ago--

With silver spurs and silken plumes a-blow,

And flashing sword caught fast and buckled back

In a carven sheath of Tamarack.

He came with footsteps beautifully slow,

And spoke in voice meticulously low.

He came and Romance followed in his track . .

I did not ask his name--I thought him Love;

I did not care to see his hidden face.

All life seemed born in my intaken breath;

All thought seemed flown like some forgotten dove.

He bent to kiss and raised his visor's lace . . .

All eager-lipped I kissed the mouth of Death.

2.

Some things are very dear to me--

Such things as flowers bathed by rain

Or patterns traced upon the sea

Or crocuses where snow has lain . . .

The iridescence of a gem,

The moon's cool opalescent light,

Azaleas and the scent of them,

And honeysuckles in the night.

And many sounds are also dear--

Like winds that sing among the trees

Or crickets calling from the weir

Or Negroes humming melodies.

But dearer far than all surmise

Are sudden tear-drops in your eyes

     Bennett's sonnet with no official name other than Sonnet 1.The sonnet, along with its counterpart were written in 1927. Gwendolyn wrote this sonnet along with another named Sonnet 2. The first sonnet has the theme of careless deception. The second sonnet has the theme of lovely things.

    Sonnet number one has a knight as the antagonist. Bennett, or a female character, is the protagonist. The knight wears a mask that hides his true face, or nature. He is gallant like all knights are portrayed making Bennett fall for him. Bennett blindly falls in love with him and without a second doubt kisses him only to realize that he was death.

    Sonnet number 2 Bennett lists seemingly mundane items that she finds beautiful. Many of the items are 

natural such as the sea and honeysuckles. Then she also tells she finds the melodies sung by African 

Americans beautiful. She ends the sonnet with a line telling she finds eyes with tears in them beautiful. The 

ending line does not necessarily refer to tears of sadness but more to tears of happiness and possible 

freedom.