Days Of 1896

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



He became completely degraded. His erotic tendency,
condemned and strictly forbidden
(but innate for all that) , was the cause of it:
society was totally prudish.
He gradually lost what little money he had,
then his social standing, then his reputation.
Nearly thirty, he had never worked a full year—
at least not at a legitimate job.
Sometimes he earned enough to get by
acting the go-between in deals considered shameful.
He ended up the type likely to compromise you thoroughly
if you were seen around with him often.
 
But this isn't the whole story—that would not be fair.
The memory of his beauty deserves better.
There is another angle; seen from that
he appears attractive, appears
a simple, genuine child of love,
without hesitation putting,
above his honor and reputation,
the pure sensuality of his pure flesh.
 
Above his reputation? But society,
prudish and stupid, had it wrong.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

45 sec read
151

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABXXXBXXXXAB XXXXXXBX AX
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 882
Words 150
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 12, 8, 2

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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