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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE CLOUDS: SOCRATES' EXPERIMENTS, by ARISTOPHANES Poet's Biography First Line: Well, I must go. Why keep on loitering here Last Line: Imperial zeus! What subtilty of thought! Subject(s): Socrates (470-399 B.c.) | |||
STREPSIADES. DISCIPLE STR. Well, I must go. Why keep on loitering here? Why don't I knock and enter? -- Hoa! within there! -- (Knocks violently at the door.) DIS. (half-opening the door) Go, hang yourself! and give the crows a dinner -- What noisy fellow hammered at the door? STR. Strepsiades of Cicynna, son of Pheidon. DIS. However named, 'fore Heaven, you're a fool Not to respect these doors; battering so loud, And kicking with such vengeance, you have marred The ripe conception of my pregnant brain, And brought on a miscarriage. STR. Oh! the pity! -- Pardon my ignorance: I'm country bred And far afield am come: I pray you tell me What curious thought my luckless din has strangled, Just as your brain was hatching. DIS. These are things We never speak of but amongst ourselves. STR. Speak boldly then to me, for I am come To be amongst you, and partake the secrets Of your profound academy. DIS. Enough! I will impart, but set it down in thought Amongst our mysteries -- This is the question, As it was put but now to Chaerophon, By our great master Socrates, to answer -- How many of his own lengths at one spring A flea can hop -- for we did see one vault From brow of Chaerophon onto the head Of the philosopher. STR. And how did t'other Contrive to measure this? DIS. Most accurately: He dipt the insect's feet in melted wax, Which, hardening into sandals as it cooled, Gave him the space by rule infallible. STR. Imperial Zeus! what subtilty of thought! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A FLUTE OVERHEARD by KENNETH REXROTH SATIRE: 4 by AULUS PERSIUS FLACCUS THE REPLY OF SOCRATES, CONCERNING THE WRITINGS OF HERACLITUS by JOHN BYROM THE PRISONER by SAMUEL VALENTINE COLE VIRGIDEMIAE: BOOK 2: SATIRE: 4 by JOSEPH HALL THE CROWN OF THORNS by JESSE WILLIS JEFFERIS THE WANDERER by LEWIS MORRIS (1833-1907) THE DEATH OF SOCRATES by FREDERICK WILLIAM HENRY MYERS THE CLOUDS: THE CLOUD CHORUS by ARISTOPHANES |
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