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Poem Text
"The Stone" by Wilfred Wilson Gibson
“And will you cut a stone for him,
To set above his head?
And will you cut a stone for him—
A stone for him?" she said.
Three days before, a splintered rock
Had struck her lover dead—
Had struck him in the quarry dead,
Where, careless of a warning call,
He loitered, while the shot was fired—
A lively stripling, brave and tall,
And sure of all his heart desired...
A flash, a shock,
A rumbling fall...
And, broken 'neath the broken rock,
A lifeless heap, with face of clay,
And still as any stone he lay,
With eyes that saw the end of all.
I went to break the news to her:
And I could hear my own heart beat
With dread of what my lips might say;
But some poor fool had sped before;
And, flinging wide her father's door,
Had blurted out the news to her,
Had struck her lover dead for her,
Had struck the girl's heart dead in her,
Had struck life, lifeless, at a word,
And dropped it at her feet:
Then hurried on his witless way,
Scarce knowing she had heard.
And when I came, she stood alone—
A woman, turned to stone:
And, though no word at all she said,
I knew that all was known.
Because her heart was dead,
She did not sigh nor moan.
His mother wept:
She could not weep.
Her lover slept:
She could not sleep.
Three days, three nights,
She did not stir:
Three days, three nights,
Were one to her,
Who never closed her eyes
From sunset to sunrise,
From dawn to evenfall—
Her tearless, staring eyes,
That, seeing naught, saw all.
The fourth night when I came from work,
I found her at my door.
"And will you cut a stone for him?"
She said: and spoke no more:
But followed me, as I went in,
And sank upon a chair;
And fixed her grey eyes on my face,
With still, unseeing stare.
And, as she waited patiently,
I could not bear to feel
Those still, grey eyes that followed me,
Those eyes that plucked the heart from me,
Those eyes that sucked the breath from me
And curdled the warm blood in me,
Those eyes that cut me to the bone,
And cut my marrow like cold steel.
And so I rose and sought a stone;
And cut it smooth and square:
And, as I worked, she sat and watched,
Beside me, in her chair.
Night after night, by candlelight,
I cut her lover's name:
Night after night, so still and white,
And like a ghost she came;
And sat beside me, in her chair,
And watched with eyes aflame.
She eyed each stroke,
And hardly stirred:
She never spoke
A single word:
And not a sound or murmur broke
The quiet, save the mallet stroke.
With still eyes ever on my hands,
With eyes that seemed to burn my hands,
My wincing, overwearied hands,
She watched, with bloodless lips apart,
And silent, indrawn breath:
And every stroke my chisel cut,
Death cut still deeper in her heart:
The two of us were chiselling,
Together, I and Death.
And when at length my job was done,
And I had laid the mallet by,
As if, at last, her peace were won,
She breathed his name, and, with a sigh,
Passed slowly through the open door:
And never crossed my threshold more.
Next night I laboured late, alone,
To cut her name upon the stone.
Author’s Background
Wilfred Wilson Gibson (1878–1962) was a British poet known for his realistic and often tragic depictions of everyday life. His poetry focuses on working-class struggles, human suffering, and loss.
"The Stone" is a deeply emotional and haunting poem about grief, love, and death. It tells the story of a young woman who loses her lover in a quarry accident, becoming so overwhelmed with sorrow that she turns into an emotionless figure—like stone herself.
Setting
The poem is set in a rural village, focusing on a stonecutter’s workshop and the grieving woman’s home.
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Physical Setting:
- The quarry, where the young man died.
- The stonecutter’s workshop, where the grieving woman sits while the narrator engraves the stone.
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Emotional Setting:
- The atmosphere is cold, lifeless, and sorrowful.
- The woman is described as "turned to stone," showing how grief has consumed her completely.
Summary of "The Stone"
The poem follows the journey of grief and mourning after a tragic accident.
- A young man dies in a quarry accident, struck by a falling rock.
- The news of his death reaches his lover, but instead of crying, she becomes emotionally frozen—like stone.
- She does not cry, eat, or sleep for three days and nights, showing her overwhelming sorrow.
- On the fourth day, she goes to the narrator, a stonecutter, and asks him to carve a gravestone for her dead lover.
- As he works on the stone, she silently watches him every night, unblinking and unmoving.
- The narrator feels that Death itself is present as he carves the stone, as each chisel stroke seems to cut deeper into the woman’s soul.
- Once the stone is complete, she sighs her lover’s name, walks away, and never returns.
- That same night, the stonecutter begins engraving her name too, implying that she died from grief.
Stanza Structure and Analysis
The poem is written in free verse, using short, rhythmic lines that create a slow, mournful tone.
Stanza One (Lines 1–4)
- The woman asks the stonecutter to engrave her lover’s gravestone, revealing her quiet sorrow.
Stanza Two (Lines 5–17)
- The young man dies suddenly in a quarry accident, showing how life can change in an instant.
Stanza Three (Lines 18–29)
- The news reaches his lover, but instead of breaking down, she becomes emotionless and silent.
Stanza Four (Lines 30–48)
- The woman stops feeling emotions completely—she neither cries nor sleeps, showing the depth of her sorrow.
Stanza Five (Lines 49–64)
- She watches the stonecutter work, her lifeless stare making him uneasy.
Stanza Six (Lines 65–89)
- As the narrator engraves the name, he feels that he and Death are working together, suggesting the woman is slowly dying from grief.
Final Stanza (Lines 90–97)
- The woman disappears after the stone is finished, implying she has died from heartbreak.
- The narrator begins carving her name on the stone, confirming her tragic end.
Themes in "The Stone"
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Grief and Loss
- The poem shows how grief can consume a person completely.
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Love and Devotion
- The woman’s unwavering love leads to her downfall.
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Death and Fate
- The poem suggests that death is unavoidable and unpredictable.
WAEC/NECO Likely Questions on "The Stone"
- What is the main theme of the poem?
- How does the poet describe the woman’s reaction to grief?
- What does the phrase "The two of us were chiseling, Together, I and Death" mean?
- How does imagery enhance the poem’s mood?
These questions are designed to test comprehension, thematic understanding, literary appreciation, and critical thinking skills.
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