Analysis of The Bandaged Shoulder

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



He said that he had hurt himself on a wall or that he had fallen.
But there was probably another reason
for the wounded and bandaged shoulder.

With a somewhat abrupt movement,
to bring down from a shelf some
photographs that he wanted to see closely,
the bandage was untied and a little blood ran.

I bandaged the shoulder again, and while bandaging it
I was somewhat slow; because it did not hurt,
and I liked to look at the blood. That
blood was a part of my love.

When he had left, I found in front of the chair,
a bloody rag, from the bandages,
a rag that looked in belonged in garbage;
which I brought up to my lips,
and which I held there for a long time --
the blood of love on my lips.


Scheme AAX XXXX XXXX XXXBXB
Poetic Form
Metre 11111101101111110 11110001010 101001010 10110110 1111011 1011101110 010101001011 110010010111 11111011111 011111011 1101111 11111101101 010110100 0111001010 1111111 011111011 0111111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 684
Words 140
Sentences 7
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 3, 4, 4, 6
Lines Amount 17
Letters per line (avg) 32
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 134
Words per stanza (avg) 35
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 24, 2023

42 sec read
104

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…

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