Cleopatra’s Glory Poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar

Cleopatra’s Glory

Rating: 5.0


Cleopatra was the queen of Egypt;
Cleopatra was the queen of beauty.
She came to the throne at her eighteen
The first century BC witnessed it.

To get back her Egypt from her brother,
She sought the hand of Julius Caesar,
The mighty one Rome had ever seen,
And set to sell her asset of beauty.

While in exile, she was able to reach
Caesar when he chanced to visit Egypt,
By getting her smuggled in to his room,
Rolled up in a carpet sent as a gift

Cleopatra emerging from the roll,
Caesar was stunned and fell for her in love.
He made her queen of Egypt in no time
And made her his consort with all respects.

Bound by her charm, grace and wit together,
Caesar clued to her and bore her a son.
He brought her home to be adored by Rome.
They led a life, each proud of the other.

The rise of Caesar was the cause of his fall.
His rise in power and love for Egypt
Were good enough for his conspirators
To rise and annihilate him unaware.

Cleopatra with her son fled to Egypt
And Mark Antony succeeded the throne.
No wonder, her beauty arrested him.
No wonder, his valour imprisioned her.

.The Rome emperor and the Egyptian queen
Loved, like of which no pair ever did.
The spring sprang, love spurted, and the passion flowed.
She was all and she was the world for him.




He took to Egypt and slept with the queen.
His rivals from Rome used his weakness
And invaded the Egyptian sea.
War broke; Antony woke and fought but lost.

The majestic queen became the captive.
False news spread that she was killed. Shocked,
Antony killed himself with the sword he wore.
She saught to burry him with state honour.

She heard she would be taken to Rome,
To be chained and drawn in Rome she adorned.
Romans took care that she killed not herself
And so kept her ss safe amidst water.

She had serpents brought in the fruit basket
And had them sting her to join her lover.
She loved Caesar and lived a royal wife.
She loved Antony and lived a loyal wife.

A woman can love as much in succession.
Widowhood is not an impediment
And the land after the harvest is not waste.
Cleopatra is a perfect example.

‘Age cannot wither her, not custom stale
Her infinite variety; other women cloy
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry
Where most she satisfies.’ Shakespeare

01.04.2008

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Fiona Davidson 01 December 2008

Well written saga...thank you....loved reading it...

0 0 Reply
Raman Savithiri 07 December 2008

I did not know Cleopatra's full story. Your poem is well woven to tell the story and to justify a women's love. I liked the way you ended the story. Very nice.

0 0 Reply
Jim Norausky 25 January 2009

An excellent narrative poem Sir. Nicely penned.

0 0 Reply
Anjali Sinha 10 March 2009

a lovely narration of cleopatras glory i always admired her beauty and stories of her. -10 anjali

0 0 Reply
Bright Rose 23 May 2009

wow, Im impressed, that's a very lovely 'historical story trelling' poem, I guess it's a poetic and amazing way to know more about her, the queen of beauty, lovely poem, I guess you mastared this piece very well, it's well expressed and your words are just amazing, brilliant :)

0 0 Reply
Akhtar Jawad 31 March 2018

She came, she saw and she conquered, a beautiful poem on Cleopatra.

0 0 Reply
Savita Tyagi 12 November 2017

The poem is as fascinating as the story of this famous queen. A remarkable life history she has. Her beauty and wits were just so supreme. Thanks for sharing. Makes me want to read about her again.

0 0 Reply
Sarah Mkhonza 12 November 2017

Reading your poem after watching a French rendering of Caesar and C leopard is so fulfilling. So much research in this poem. It left me more fascinated by queen. I

0 0 Reply

Life of Cleopatra a wonderful woman in history nicely told in the poem.Like it.

1 0 Reply
Kewayne Wadley 20 November 2014

Beautifully told! Excellent!

0 0 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar

Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar

Aravayal, karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, South India
Close
Error Success