Long years I lived under vast porticoes That thousand fires of ocean suns stained bright. Their huge, straight, stately columns, at twilight, As if in grottoes of basalt uprose. The coursing waves, where rolled the imaged skies, Mingled in their mysterious, solemn modes Reverberant music, surging strophic odes, With sunset colors flashing on my eyes. There dwelt I in the long voluptuous calms Amid those splendors, azure skies, the waves, And bodies heavy with perfumes, nude slaves Who fanned my forehead with great leaves of palms And knew one care alone: that secret anguish To fathom that made all my being languish. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...NO MATTER WHAT, AFTER ALL, AND THAT BEAUTIFUL WORD SO by HAYDEN CARRUTH JULY IN GEORGY by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON CHAMBER MUSIC: 35 by JAMES JOYCE UNDER THE CEDARCROFT CHESTNUT by SIDNEY LANIER COUNTRYWOMEN by KATHERINE MANSFIELD |