PoemHunter.com

Orpheus In The Underworld by David Gascoyne

7/6/2008 8:23:51 PM
Home Poets Poems Lyrics Quotations Music Forum Search Member Area Poetry E-Books Sites Mini Quiz
 

POEMS

LYRICS

MUSIC

QUOTATIONS

SEARCH

   
David Gascoyne David Gascoyne
(1916 - 2001)
Free Poetry E-Book:
13 poems of David Gascoyne

File Size: 123k  File Format: Acrobat Reader
To download the eBook right-Click on the title and select "Save Target As". more ebooks >>
   • Biography  Poems  Comments  More Info  Stats 

 
 
<< prev. poem Poems by David Gascoyne: 2 / 13 next poem >>
  
 
Orpheus In The Underworld
 
  Curtains of rock
And tears of stone,
Wet leaves in a high crevice of the sky:
From side to side the draperies
Drawn back by rigid hands.

And he came carrying the shattered lyre,
And wearing the blue robes of a king,
And looking through eyes like holes torn in a screen;
And the distant sea was faintly heard,
From time to time, in the suddenly rising wind,
Like a broken song.

Out of his sleep, from time to time,
From between half open lips,
Escaped the bewildered words which try to tell
The tale of his bright night
And his wing-shadowed day
The soaring flights of thought beneath the sun
Above the islands of the seas
And all the deserts, all the pastures, all the plains
Of the distracting foreign land.

He sleeps with the broken lyre between his hands,
And round his slumber are drawn back
The rigid draperies, the tears and wet leaves,
Cold curtains of rock concealing the bottomless sky.

David Gascoyne


Read poems about / on: sky, song, sleep, wind, sea, time, sun, night, rose

User Rating:

9.5 /10
(2 votes)



 
Comments about this poem (Orpheus In The Underworld by David Gascoyne)  more comments >>
Click here to write your comments about this poem (Orpheus In The Underworld by David Gascoyne)
 
Barry Curtis (12/2/2006 12:16:00 PM)
This poem and Gascoyne's YVES TANGUY are two of the finest mind-reverberating poems in the English language. I wish his work was more easily
available in the U.S.
People who read David Gascoyne also read:
More classic poets:

The complete list >>

Lyrics

The complete list >>

QuickPoll
Overall, how would you rate our website?
Very good
Rather good
Fair
Rather poor
Very poor

 Search in the World Poetry Database => 

 Search:   in:      tips
Hide the search box!

E-MAIL THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND - Found this page interesting? Recommend it to your friend! 
 Your E-mail:  
 Friend's Email:  
   
Your
Message:

 

(c) Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge..  About Us | Copyright notice | Privacy statement | Help
7/6/2008 8:23:51 PM. You Are Here: Orpheus In The Underworld by David Gascoyne

Home | Poets | Poems | Lyrics | Music | Quotations | Forum | Search | Random Poem | Free Poetry eBooks | Contests | Sites |
Submit a Poem | Manage Your Poems | Contact Us

Christmas Poems | Love Poems | Pablo Neruda | Death Poems | Sad Poems | Birthday Poems | Wedding Poems | Annabel Lee | Sorry Poems | Winter Poems