Analysis of In Despair

Constantine P. Cavafy 1863 (Alexandria) – 1933 (Alexandria)



He has lost him completely.     And now he is seeking
on the lips of     every new lover
the lips of his beloved;     in the embrace
of every new lover     he seeks to be deluded
that he is the same lad,     that it it to him he is yielding.

He has lost him copmletely,     as if he had never been at all.
For he wanted -- so he said --     he wanted to be saved
from the stigmatized,     the sick sensual delight;
from the stigmatized,     sensual delight of shame.
There was still time --     as he said -- to be saved.

He has lost him completely,     as if he had never been at all.
In his imagination,     in his delusions,
on the lips of others     it is his lips he is seeking;
he is longing to feel again     the love he has known.


Scheme AXXXA BCXXC BXAX
Poetic Form
Metre 1111010011110 1011100110 0111010001 11001101111010 111011111111110 11111111110111 1110111110111 10100110001 10101000111 1111111111 1111010111110111 01001001010 10111011111110 1110110101111
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 803
Words 138
Sentences 8
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 4
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 37
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 172
Words per stanza (avg) 43
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 10, 2023

41 sec read
59

Constantine P. Cavafy

Constantine P. Cavafy was a Greek poet who lived in Alexandria and worked as a journalist and civil servant. He published 154 poems; dozens more remained incomplete or in sketch form. His most important poetry was written after his fortieth birthday. more…

All Constantine P. Cavafy poems | Constantine P. Cavafy Books

0 fans

Discuss this Constantine P. Cavafy poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "In Despair" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/7164/in-despair>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    14
    hours
    52
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    In poetry, the word "foot" refers to _______.
    A a dozen poems
    B a unit of 12 lines
    C two or more syllables
    D one stanza