Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE CLOUDS: SOCRATES' EXPERIMENTS, by ARISTOPHANES


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE CLOUDS: SOCRATES' EXPERIMENTS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Well, I must go. Why keep on loitering here
Last Line: Imperial zeus! What subtilty of thought!
Subject(s): Socrates (470-399 B.c.)


STREPSIADES. DISCIPLE

STR.

Well, I must go. Why keep on loitering here?
Why don't I knock and enter? -- Hoa! within there! -- (Knocks violently
at the door.)

DIS.

(half-opening the door) Go, hang yourself! and give the crows a dinner --
What noisy fellow hammered at the door?

STR.

Strepsiades of Cicynna, son of Pheidon.

DIS.

However named, 'fore Heaven, you're a fool
Not to respect these doors; battering so loud,
And kicking with such vengeance, you have marred
The ripe conception of my pregnant brain,
And brought on a miscarriage.

STR.

Oh! the pity! --
Pardon my ignorance: I'm country bred
And far afield am come: I pray you tell me
What curious thought my luckless din has strangled,
Just as your brain was hatching.

DIS.

These are things
We never speak of but amongst ourselves.

STR.

Speak boldly then to me, for I am come
To be amongst you, and partake the secrets
Of your profound academy.

DIS.

Enough!
I will impart, but set it down in thought
Amongst our mysteries -- This is the question,
As it was put but now to Chaerophon,
By our great master Socrates, to answer --
How many of his own lengths at one spring
A flea can hop -- for we did see one vault
From brow of Chaerophon onto the head
Of the philosopher.

STR.

And how did t'other
Contrive to measure this?

DIS.

Most accurately:
He dipt the insect's feet in melted wax,
Which, hardening into sandals as it cooled,
Gave him the space by rule infallible.

STR.

Imperial Zeus! what subtilty of thought!





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