The Footsteps

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



Eagles of coral
adorn the ebony bed
where Nero lies fast asleep
callous, happy, peaceful,
in the prime of his body's strength,
in the fine vigour of youth.

But in the alabaster hall that holds
the ancient shrine of the Aenobarbi
how restless the household deities!
The little gods tremble
and try to hide their insignificant bodies.
They've heard a terrible sound,
a deadly sound coming up the stairs,
iron footsteps that shake the staircase;
and, faint with fear, the miserable Lares
scramble to the back of the shrine,
shoving each other and stumbling,
one little god falling over another,
because they know what kind of sound that is,
know by now the footsteps of the Furies.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
105

Quick analysis:

Scheme AXXAXX BXCACXXXBXXXXB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 668
Words 119
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 6, 14

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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