Grecian Urn II

Meant to contrast and be more free form relative to my original "Grecian Urn"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a faithful photographic reproduction of an original two-dimensional work of art.  The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason:  This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.   This applies to the United States, Australia, the European Union and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 70 years.

 

Grecian Urn II

 

Oh godly art, rare flower of antiquity

Please spill thy tale of heartless fate’s ubiquity

Of battles, deeds of Man, of Love--

And life’s fragility!

 

Oh, never have I deeply pondered fate before

But you inspire, and my spirit longs for more

With all your knowledge of the world

My aspirations soar!

 

Yet still I must confess I know you’re aught but clay

O’er history of Man I know you hold no sway

You are observer, nothing more--

Yet teach me, I do pray!

 

For oh, so many things you have seen in your time

The things you know, your knowledge quite o’erwhelms my rhyme

But you are silent on this theme--

Why must you play the mime?

 

Oh godly art, I honor you and wish you well

How long you still shall watch Mans deeds but time will tell

But on that fateful day

When thy molded clay

And artful form is felled

My tears shall fall to ground

As I shudder from that sound

And with grief my heart shall swell

 

Oh sad cracked art, lost flower of antiquity

I studied you and hoped to find congruity

With blind and savage twists of fate--

And life’s acridity

 

Yet I see you’re mortal, too

And in death make space for new

For more time you will not sue

Less pretentious than I knew

In your selflessness my hope for future dwells!

 

Oh godly art, rare flower of antiquity

Please spill thy tale of heartless fate’s ubiquity

Of battles, deeds of Man, of Love--

And life’s fragility!

 

 

 

©2010 Richard Puetter

All rights reserved

 

Reviews

[Helena]

Rick,

This is exquisite poetry. You are a master of writing about precious antiquities, history and the past in vivid detail. Your poems are very special.....I adore them.

This no exception my dear friend. Very touching and balm to the senses; You are a master craftsman, know your subjects perfectly and thoroughly and wield your golden pen with panache and flair!

Bravo!

Kindest regards,

Helena :)

[Dinesh Sairam]

This abruptly reminded me of a stanza poem by Robert Frost :

"A voice said, Look me in the stars
And tell me truly, men of earth,
If all the soul-and-body scars
Were not too much to pay for birth."

~ A question, Robert Frost ~

It's a splendid thing - One art inspiring another artist to create his (Even more special when the former has nothing to do with the latter).

The poem sings the praise of the urn less and questions more of life, personifying the urn. I really wished you just continued praising the beauty of the urn, but this is good too.

If you are willing, you can re-write this in iambic tetrameter. Meter adds to poems that talk of fragility, death and sorrow (That is to say, about the laments of life and love).

But, I really loved this. I just couldn't stop imagining how it would be in a meter! :)

Keep writing.

[nono]

I like it. Artsy and gives me a very well painted picture of whats going on.