Classic and Contemporary Poetry
JONAH, by ROBERT RANKE GRAVES Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: A purple whale Last Line: With disappointed tail. Subject(s): Jonah (bible) | ||||||||
A PURPLE whale Proudly sweeps his tail Towards Nineveh; Glassy green Surges between A mile of roaring sea. "O town of gold, Of splendour multifold, Lucre and lust, Leviathan's eye Can surely spy Thy doom of death and dust." On curving sands Vengeful Jonah stands. "Yet forty days, Then down, down, Tumbles the town In flaming ruin ablaze." With swift lament Those Ninevites repent. They cry in tears, "Our hearts fail!" The whale, the whale! Our sins prick us like spears." Jonah is vexed; He cries, "What next? what next?" And shakes his fist. "Stupid city, The shame, the pity, The glorious crash I've missed." Away goes Jonah grumbling, Murmuring and mumbling; Off ploughs the purple whale, With disappointed tail. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO A SONG OF SAPPHO, DISCOVERED IN EGYPT by LEONORA SPEYER JONAH AND THE WHALE by ANONYMOUS JONAH AND THE WHALE by VIOLA MEYNELL JONAH AND THE WHALE by UNKNOWN COUNTING THE BEATS by ROBERT RANKE GRAVES |
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