On the Beach at Fontana

James Joyce 1882 (Rathgar) – 1941 (Zürich)



Wind whines and whines the shingle,
The crazy pierstakes groan;
A senile sea numbers each single
Slimesilvered stone.

From whining wind and colder
Grey sea I wrap him warm
And touch his trembling fineboned shoulder
And boyish arm.

Around us fear, descending
Darkness of fear above
And in my heart how deep unending
Ache of love!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 07, 2023

17 sec read
266

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CXCX DEDE
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 326
Words 58
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

James Joyce

ames Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century.  more…

All James Joyce poems | James Joyce Books

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