I A REMOTE sky, prolonged to the sea's brim: One rock-point standing buffeted alone, Vexed at its base with a foul beast unknown, Hell-birth of geomaunt and teraphim: A knight, and a winged creature bearing him, Reared at the rock: a woman fettered there, Leaning into the hollow with loose hair And throat let back and heartsick trail of limb. The sky is harsh, and the sea shrewd and salt: Under his lord the griffin-horse ramps blind With rigid wings and tail. The spear's lithe stem Thrills in the roaring of those jaws: behind, That evil length of body chafes at fault. She doth not hear nor see--she knows of them. II CLENCH thine eyes now,--'tis the last instant, girl: Draw in thy senses, set thy knees, and take One breath for all: thy life is keen awake,-- Thou mayst not swoon. Was that the scattered whirl Of its foam drenched thee?--or the waves that curl And split, bleak spray wherein thy temples ache? Or was it his the champion's blood to flake Thy flesh?--or thine own blood's anointing, girl? Now, silence: for the sea's is such a sound As irks not silence; and except the sea, All now is still. Now the dead thing doth cease To writhe, and drifts. He turns to her: and she, Cast from the jaws of Death, remains there, bound, Again a woman in her nakedness. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...REMBRANDT TO REMBRANDT by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON OF THE WARS IN IRELAND by JOHN HARRINGTON THE DARK HILLS by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON IN MEMORIAM A.H.H.: 43 by ALFRED TENNYSON OF AN ORCHARD by KATHARINE TYNAN DEATH AND THE LADY; THEIR BARGAIN TOLD AGAIN by LEONIE ADAMS INAUGURATION SONNET: WILLIAM JEWETT TUCKER by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE HINC LACHRIMAE; OR THE AUTHOR TO AURORA: 34 by WILLIAM BOSWORTH |