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When They Come Alive

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

Try to keep them, poet,
those erotic visions of yours,
however few of them there are that can be stilled.
Put them, half-hidden, in your lines.
Try to hold them, poet,
when they come alive in your mind
at night or in the noonday brightness.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

14 sec read
37

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCDAEF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 242
Words 47
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 7
Full analysis for When They Come Alive »

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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