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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
HORATIAN EPODE TO THE DUCHESS OF MALFI, by JOHN ORLEY ALLEN TATE Poem Explanation Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: The stage is about to be swept of corpses Last Line: And the katharsis fades in the warm water of a yawn. Alternate Author Name(s): Tate, Allen Subject(s): Webster, John (1580-1625) | |||
Duchess: Who am I? Bosola: Thou art a box of worm-seed, at best but a salvatory of green mummy. The stage is about to be swept of corpses. You have no more chance than an infusorian Lodged in a hollow molar of an eohippus. Come, now, no prattle of remergence with the ovrws ov * * * As (the form requires the myth) A Greek girl stood once in the prytaneum Of Carneades, hearing mouthings of Probability, Then mindful of love dashed her brain on a megalith So you, O nameless Duchess who die young, Meet death somewhat lovingly And I am filled with a pity of beholding skulls. There was no pride like yours. Now considerations of the void coming after Not changed by the 'strict gesture' of your death Split the straight line of pessimism Into two infinities. It is moot whether there be divinities As I finish this play by Webster: The street-cars are still running however And the katharsis fades in the warm water of a yawn. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...WITH A BIRTHDAY GIFT OF WEBSTER'S PLAYS by EDMUND WILLIAM GOSSE IN THE JUST WORTH OF JOHN WEBSTER, UPON HIS MASTER-PIECE OF TRAGEDY by THOMAS MIDDLETON TO HIS FRIEND JOHN WEBSTER, UPON HIS 'DUCHESS OF MALFI' by WILLIAM ROWLEY SONNETS ON ENGLISH DRAMATIC POETS: 7. JOHN WEBSTER by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE BATTLE OF MURFREESBORO, 1862-1922 by JOHN ORLEY ALLEN TATE BIZARRE by JOHN ORLEY ALLEN TATE BORED TO CHORESIS by JOHN ORLEY ALLEN TATE CALIDUS JUVENTA? by JOHN ORLEY ALLEN TATE CUL-DE-SAC by JOHN ORLEY ALLEN TATE |
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