Dumb

Aleister Crowley 1875 (Leamington Spa) – 1947 (Hastings)



Gabriel whispered in mine ear
His archangelic poesie.
How can I write? I only hear
The sobbing murmur of the sea.

Raphael breathed and bade me pass
His rapt evangel to mankind;
I cannot even match, alas!
The ululation of the wind.

The gross grey gods like gargoyles spit
On every poet's holy head;
No mustard-seed of truth or wit
In those curst furrows, quick or dead!

A tithe of what I know would cleanse
The leprosy of earth; and I -
My limits are like other men's.
I must live dumb, and dumb must die!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
127

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB BCBC DEDE BFBF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 497
Words 98
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

Aleister Crowley

Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley, was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, and mountaineer. more…

All Aleister Crowley poems | Aleister Crowley Books

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