Finally, "Silence"

I thought I had stumbled across a poem of Marianne Moore's that was maybe less complex than the majority of her work, in "Silence." I was woefully wrong. At first glance everything about this poem is different from the anthologised material we had to digest. The jagged line breaks are missing. Although it is often hard to find, almost all of her verses utilize end rhyme. There is no discernible end rhyme here. And good luck uncovering meter in this one. So I dove right into the meaning, which again appeared to be rather straightforward and accessible.

"Superior people" know when it's time to leave, or less obviously, when to shut their mouths. They don't need to be prompted, or given constant guidance (lines 2-3). In a word (or two), they are "self reliant." A superior person's understanding will become apparent, not in silence exactly, but in "restraint," in not speaking. Moore makes sure to emphasize the difference. She ends by commenting on the quote: "Make my house your inn," saying that inns are not residences. This seemed obvious enough as an inn is somewhere one stays for a short period of time and goes on his way. It's a clever way of telling one's guest that he is welcome, but not for too long. I should have been content at that point, closed the proverbial book on this poem and made a sandwich or something. But no, I had to read it again, and damn it, now I'm hungry.

Further examination revealed what I had missed on previous readings, that only two and a half lines (15 words total) are not quoted from outside sources; in this case overheard pieces of conversation. I also didn't pay attention to the fact that there are three distinct voices speaking: the father, the daughter (who Moore has overheard), and Moore herself. Notes on the poem indicate that Moore has embellished the first quote. So not only are we hearing Moore's voice overall, as it is her poem, but embedded within the voice of the father as well. Within the "voice" of the father also is the voice of the daughter since, although Moore is quoting the father, the words she uses are those of the daughter. Confused yet? Wondering what all of these voices are actually saying? Yeah, me too. If anyone out there has some insight - please, please help!

Here's the best I can do with "Silence." Dad realized early on the genius of his daughter, be it Moore, or the overheard woman, I don't care, I have a headache now. So he is reminding the girl, in a way that a "superior person" would appreciate, that children (especially female children) should be seen and not heard. It was merely a way for him to maintain control of his home and retain his intellectual authority. This is why silence becomes restraint in line 12. Possibly, the "self reliance" from line five foreshadows "Make my house your inn." He's not so subtly telling his daughter to shut up and move on, literally and figuratively.

I'm getting some snacks . . . and an aspirin.