Classic and Contemporary Poetry
MODERN LOVE, by FORD MADOX FORD Poet's Biography First Line: Knee-deep among the buttercups, the sun Last Line: That lies before us, you of the dear eyes. Alternate Author Name(s): Hueffer, Ford Hermann; Hueffer, Ford Madox Subject(s): Gardens & Gardening; Love | ||||||||
I KNEE-DEEP among the buttercups, the sun Gilding the scutcheons and the gilded mail, Gilding the crowned helm and leopard crest, Dear, see they pant and strike at your desire. And one goes down among the emerald grass, And one stands over him his dagger poised, His visor raised, his blood-shot eyes a-travel Over the steel that lies between his feet, Crushing the buttercups ... and so the point goes in Between the gorget and the habergeon... And blood floods out upon the buttercups, Gules, or and vert beneath an azure sky. And now the victor strides knee-deep in grass, His surcoat brushing down the flower-heads To where above the hedge a hennin peeps Wide, white and waving like a wild swan's wings, And a green dress, a mantlet all of vair And such dear eyes. ... Dear, you've the dearest eyes In all the worldthe most compassionate eyes. II ...In your garden, here The light streams down between the silvered leaves, And we sit still and whisper ... But our fight! The gross Black Prince among the buttercups Could grin and girn and pant and sweive and smite And, in ten minutes it was win or lose: A coffin board or ale, a coarse caress Or just an end of it for Life or Death... Is that a footfall on the gravel path? Are your stretched nerves on edge? And do you see? There, white and black, the other couple go. And if some others knew! Oh, buttercups, And blood upon the grass beneath the sun... Give me your garden where the street lamp shines Between the leaves: your garden seat, your hand, Just touching mineand all the long, long fight That lies before us, you of the dear eyes. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE INVENTION OF LOVE by MATTHEA HARVEY TWO VIEWS OF BUSON by ROBERT HASS A LOVE FOR FOUR VOICES: HOMAGE TO FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN by ANTHONY HECHT AN OFFERING FOR PATRICIA by ANTHONY HECHT LATE AFTERNOON: THE ONSLAUGHT OF LOVE by ANTHONY HECHT A SWEETENING ALL AROUND ME AS IT FALLS by JANE HIRSHFIELD |
|