Analysis of In The Evening

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



It wouldn't have lasted long anyway
years of experience make that clear.
But Fate did put an end to it a bit abruptly.
It was soon over, that wonderful life.
Yet how strong the scents were,
what a magnificent bed we lay in,
what pleasures we gave our bodies.

An echo from my days of indulgence,
an echo from those days came back to me,
something from the fire of the young life we shared:
I picked up a letter again,
read it over and over till the light faded.

Then, sad, I went out on to the balcony,
went out to change my thoughts at least by seeing
something of this city I love,
a little movement in the streets, in the shops.


Scheme XXAXXXX XAXXX AXXX
Poetic Form
Metre 110110110 110100111 1111111101010 1111011001 111010 1001001110 110111010 1101111010 1101111111 101010101111 11101001 111001010110 11111110100 11111111110 10111011 01010001001
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 623
Words 126
Sentences 7
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 7, 5, 4
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 31
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 163
Words per stanza (avg) 41
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 16, 2023

38 sec read
110

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

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