Classic and Contemporary Poetry
HERMES OF THE WAYS, by HILDA DOOLITTLE Poem Explanation Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: The hard sand breaks Last Line: Shore-grass. Alternate Author Name(s): H. D.; Aldington, Richard, Mrs. Subject(s): Bible; Sea; Ocean | ||||||||
THE hard sand breaks, and the grains of it are clear as wine. Far off over the leagues of it, the wind, playing on the wide shore, piles little ridges, and the great waves break over it. But more than the many-foamed ways of the sea, I know him of the triple path-ways, Hermes, who awaits. Dubious, facing three ways, welcoming wayfarers, he whom the sea-orchard shelters from the west, from the east weathers sea-wind; fronts the great dunes. Wind rushes over the dunes, and the coarse, salt-crusted grass answers. Heu, it whips round my ankles! II Small is this white stream, flowing below ground from the poplar-shaded hill, but the water is sweet. Apples on the small trees are hard, too small, too late ripened by a desperate sun that struggles through sea-mist. The boughs of the trees are twisted by many bafflings; twisted are the small-leafed boughs. But the shadow of them is not the shadow of the mast head nor of the torn sails. Hermes, Hermes, the great sea foamed, gnashed its teeth about me; but you have waited, were sea-grass tangles with shore-grass. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...HALL OF OCEAN LIFE by JOHN HOLLANDER JULY FOURTH BY THE OCEAN by ROBINSON JEFFERS BOATS IN A FOG by ROBINSON JEFFERS CONTINENT'S END by ROBINSON JEFFERS |
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