Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


FROM A SPANISH CLOISTER by GILBERT KEITH CHESTERTON

Poet Analysis

First Line: GRRR - WHAT'S THAT? A DOG? A POET?
Last Line: AVE, VIRGO! GR-R-R — YOU SWINE!
Subject(s): BROWNING, ROBERT (1812-1889); POETRY & POETS;

Grrr — what's that? A dog? A poet?
Uttering his damnations thus —
If hate killed things, Brother Browning,
God's Word, would not hate kill us?

If we ever meet together,
@3Salve tibi!@1 I might hear
How you know poor monks are really
So much worse than they appear.

There's a great text in Corinthians
Hinting that our faith entails
Something else, that never faileth,
Yet in you, perhaps, it fails.

But if @3plena gratia@1 chokes you,
You at least can teach us how
To converse in wordless noises,
Hy, zi; hullo! — Grrr — Bow—wow!

Such a flaw in the indenture
As he'd miss till, past retrieve,
Blasted lay that rose-acacia
We're so proud of! @3Hy, Zy, Hine@1 ...
'St, there's Vespers! @3Plena gratiâ
Ave, Virgo!@1 Gr-r-r — you swine!



Home: PoetryExplorer.net