Cloves
Neil McLeod 1947 (Oxford)
Cloves
Set in the Indian Ocean,
Off the African coast, but not far,
There's a fertile oasis surrounded by sea-
The Island of Zanzibar.
This mystical tropical haven
Set with palaces, palms and a fort,
Is dotted with trees that bear a spice
Which for centuries long has been sought.
The Caesars had seen it imported,
Though they knew not from whence it came.
They brought it by galley from Palestine
To relieve their dental pain.
This valuable spice was transported
By caravan over the sand,
From a port in the south of Arabia
And by dough from that far distant land.
The seeds of this spice have a fragrant oil,
An obtundant for which many strove.
We know the oil as Eugenol,
The remarkable spice is the clove.
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Submitted by NeilMcLeod on October 09, 2013
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 39 sec read
- 10 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABXB AXXX XXXX XCXC DEDE |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 689 |
Words | 129 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Cloves" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/68252/cloves>.
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