Adam's Complaint

Next Poem

4 / 77

Previous Poem

Denise Levertov

Ilford, Essex

Denise Levertov

Ilford, Essex

Poet's Page Poems More

Activity Quotes Biography Comments Following Followers Statistics My Profile Add New Poem Add New Quote

Next Poem

4 / 77

Previous Poem

Rating: ★2.7

Autoplay

Some people,
no matter what you give them,
still want the moon.

The bread,
the salt,
white meat and dark,
still hungry.

The marriage bed
and the cradle,
still empty arms.

You give them land,
their own earth under their feet,
still they take to the roads

And water: dig them the deepest well,
still it’s not deep enough
to drink the moon from.

Denise Levertov

Friday, January 3, 2003

poem poems moon marriage

Download image of this poem.

Report this poem

COMMENTS OF THE POEM

John Evans-klock 03 March 2012

Like Tennyson's Ulysses it throws down a challenge, but this time with wry skepticism of the urge for more, for the moon, for the roads. Adam's Complaint is located in primal imagery. Our hunger is recognized as inexplicable, our longings as ungrateful and impossible. But recognized, nonetheless, like the moon in the bottom of the well.

2 0 Reply

See All Comments

READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES

This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.

I would like to translate this poem

Poems By Denise Levertov

See All Poems by Denise Levertov