In the Old Age of the Soul

Ezra Pound 1885 (Hailey) – 1972 (Venice)



I do not choose to dream; there cometh on me
Some strange old lust for deeds.
As to the nerveless hand of some old warrior
The sword-hilt or the war-worn wonted helmet
Brings momentary life and long-fled cunning,
So to my soul grown old -
Grown old with many a jousting, many a foray,
Grown old with namy a hither-coming and hence-going -
Till now they send him dreams and no more deed;
So doth he flame again with might for action,
Forgetful of the council of elders,
Forgetful that who rules doth no more battle,
Forgetful that such might no more cleaves to him
So doth he flame again toward valiant doing.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 27, 2023

34 sec read
362

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCDEFGEHIJKLE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 606
Words 115
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

Ezra Pound

Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic of the early modernist movement. more…

All Ezra Pound poems | Ezra Pound Books

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