Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE SUPPER by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE

Poet Analysis

First Line: A WOLF HE PRICKS WITH EYES OF FIRE
Last Line: WHILE JANE UNHARMED GOES.
A wolf he pricks with eyes of fire
Across the dark, frost-crusted snows,
Seeking his prey,
He pads his way
Where Jane benighted goes,
Where Jane benighted goes.

He curdles the bleak air with ire,
Ruffling his hoary raiment through,
And lo! he sees
Beneath the trees
Where Jane's light footprints go,
Where Jane's light footprints go.

No hound peals thus in wicked joy,
He snaps his muzzle in the snows,
His five-clawed feet
Now scamper fleet
Where Jane's bright lanthorn shows,
Where Jane's bright lanthorn shows.

His hungry face stares out unseen
On hers as pure as wilding rose,
Her amber eyes
In fear's surprise
Watch largely as she goes,
Watch largely as she goes.

Salt wells his hunger in his jaws,
His lust it revels to and fro
Yet small beneath
A soft voice saith,
'Jane shall in safety go,
Jane shall in safety go.'

He lurched as if a fiery lash
Had scourged his hide, and through, and through
His furious eyes
O'erscanned the skies,
But nearer dared not go,
But nearer dared not go.

He reared like wild Bucephalus,
His fangs like spears in him uprose,
Ev'n to the town
Jane's flitting gown
He grins on as she goes,
He grins on as she goes.

In fierce lament he howls amain,
He scampers, marvelling in his throes
What brought him there
To sup on air,
While Jane unharmed goes,
While Jane unharmed goes.



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