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Stella Benson's 'The Secret Day': A Poetic Refuge

2/2/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Stella Benson, an English poet, includes "The Secret Day" in the 1918 collection Twenty to reflect wartime feelings.
The poem shows a speaker yearning for comfort as she builds an ideal day to shield from tomorrow.
Its nature imagery and confessional tone convey vulnerability and a longing for sanctuary, with anaphora emphasizing refuge.
The work reveals Benson's originality and depth amid the struggles of a female poet of her time.

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Story summary

Stella Benson, an English poet, includes "The Secret Day" in the 1918 collection Twenty to reflect wartime feelings.
The poem shows a speaker yearning for comfort as she builds an ideal day to shield from tomorrow.
Its nature imagery and confessional tone convey vulnerability and a longing for sanctuary, with anaphora emphasizing refuge.
The work reveals Benson's originality and depth amid the struggles of a female poet of her time.