Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, RAMMON, by HERMAN MELVILLE


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

RAMMON, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Who, friend that has lived, taking ampler view
Last Line: Ay, fable me, those enviable isles.
Subject(s): Evil


Who, friend that has lived, taking ampler view,
Running life's chances, would life renew?

Ay, Prince, but why fear? no use to dismay
When turning to enter death's chamber of spell
One waves back to life a good-natured farewell,
Bye-bye, I must sleep. That's in Tyrian way.

Not hereabouts very new.

But, piercing our Siddata's comfortable word,
Buddha, benign yet terrible, is heard:
It is Buddha I love. --

From his Ever-and-a-Day, friend, ravish me away!
Fable me something that may solace or repay --
Something of your art.

Well, -- for a theme?
A Phoenician are you. And your voyages of Tyre
From Ophir's far strand they return full of dream
That leaps to the heart of the nearby desire.
Fable me, then, those Enviable Isles
Whereof King Hiram's tars used to tell;
Now looms the dim shore when the land is ahead;
And what the strange charm the tarrier beguiles
Time without end content there to dwell.
Ay, fable me, those enviable isles.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net