The Alchemist

Louise Bogan 1897 (Livermore Falls) – 1970 (New York City)



I burned my life, that I might find
A passion wholly of the mind,
Thought divorced from eye and bone,
Ecstasy come to breath alone.
I broke my life, to seek relief
From the flawed light of love and grief.

With mounting beat the utter fire
Charred existence and desire.
It died low, ceased its sudden thresh.
I had found unmysterious flesh --
Not the mind's avid substance -- still
Passionate beyond the will.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 20, 2023

23 sec read
367

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCC DDEEFF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 406
Words 76
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 6, 6

Louise Bogan

Louise Bogan was an American poet. more…

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