Analysis of Homage To Sextus Propertius - IX
Ezra Pound 1885 (Hailey) – 1972 (Venice)
1
The twisted rhombs ceased their clamour of accompaniment;
The scorched laurel lay in the fire-dust;
The moon still declined to descend out of heaven,
But the black ominous owl hoot was audible.
And one raft bears our fates
on the veiled lake towards Avernus
Sails spread on Cerulean waters, I would shed tears for two;
I shall live, if she continue in life,
If she dies, I shall go with her.
Great Zeus, save the woman,
or she will sit before your feet in a veil, and tell
out the long list of her troubles.
2
Persephone and Dis, Dis, have mercy upon her,
There are enough women in hell,
quite enough beautiful women,
lope, and Tyro, and Pasiphae, and the formal girls of Achaia,
And out of Troad, and from the Campania,
Death has his tooth in the lot,
Avernus lusts for the lot of them,
Beauty is not eternal, no man has perennial fortune,
Slow foot, or swift foot, death delays but for a season.
My light, light of my eyes,
you are escaped from great peril,
Go back to Great Dian's dances bearing suitable gifts,
Pay up your vow of night watches
to Dian goddess of virgins,
And unto me also pay debt:
The ten nights of your company you have promised me.
Scheme | AXXB C DDXXEBFX AEFBXBXXBBXCXXXXX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1 010111110100 0110100101 011011011110 101100111100 0111101 1011011 111110111111 1111101001 11111110 111010 1111011100101 10111010 1 1011110010 11011001 10110010 101010010111 01110101 1111001 1110111 1011010111010010 1111110111010 111111 11011110 1111110101001 11111110 11010110 01011011 0111110011101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,136 |
Words | 219 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 1, 8, 17 |
Lines Amount | 30 |
Letters per line (avg) | 30 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 225 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 54 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:06 min read
- 96 Views
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"Homage To Sextus Propertius - IX" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/13260/homage-to-sextus-propertius---ix>.
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