Be Still
Trumbull Stickney 1874 (Geneva) – 1904
Be still. The Hanging Gardens were a dream
That over Persian roses flew to kiss
The curlèd lashes of Semiramis.
Troy never was, nor green Skamander stream.
Provence and Troubadour are merest lies
The glorious hair of Venice was a beam
Made within Titian's eye. The sunsets seem,
The world is very old and nothing is.
Be still. Thou foolish thing, thou canst not wake,
Nor thy tears wedge thy soldered lids apart,
But patter in the darkness of thy heart.
Thy brain is plagued. Thou art a frighted owl
Blind with the light of life thou 'ldst not forsake,
And Error loves and nourishes thy soul.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 33 sec read
- 47 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBACAADEFFGEH |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 597 |
Words | 109 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"Be Still" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/37224/be-still>.
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