To Leonide Massine in ‘Cleopatra’
Siegfried Sassoon 1886 (Matfield) – 1967 (Heytesbury)
O beauty doomed and perfect for an hour,
Leaping along the verge of death and night,
You show me dauntless Youth that went to fight
Four long years past, discovering pride and power.
You die but in our dreams, who watch you fall
Knowing that to-morrow you will dance again.
But not to ebbing music were they slain
Who sleep in ruined graves, beyond recall;
Who, following phantom-glory, friend and foe,
Into the darkness that was War must go;
Blind; banished from desire.
O mortal heart
Be still; you have drained the cup; you have played your part.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 30 sec read
- 63 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBA CXXCDDAEE |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 554 |
Words | 100 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 9 |
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"To Leonide Massine in ‘Cleopatra’" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/34976/to-leonide-massine-in-‘cleopatra’>.
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