Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TITIAN'S TWO LOVES, IN THE BORGHESE, by ROBERT UNDERWOOD JOHNSON Poet's Biography First Line: One forgets not the first dead he sorrowed over Last Line: God, the master, limner, painted both in thee. Subject(s): Titian (1490-1576); Vecelli, Tiziano; Vecellio, Tiziano | ||||||||
ONE forgets not the first dead he sorrowed over; One forgets not the first kiss of the first lover. Not the dust of ages could remembrance cover How in Titian's golden kingdom first I strayed. Oh, that Roman morning's azure, softly sifting Through the gray, the while the rapt eye caught the rifting Of the sun's rich fire where molten mists were drifting, As one looks upon an opal gently swayed. Ah! but in the palace there was sun more golden! Art for once to Nature was no more beholden. Man to his beloved had the passion olden Sung in color, and his mighty Love grew Fame. For I guessed, while hotly others were contending Which was Love Divine, that each to each was lending Supplemental graces for a perfect blending -- That to paint one twofold woman was his aim. One without the other's beauty were but torso: Human needs divine, ah, yes, and -- maybe more so -- By divine is needed. (Singing down the Corso I, elate, enthralled, went, happy just to be!) . . . Yet till thee at last I knew -- each blended feature Where the two Loves meet in rightly balanced nature -- Never had I known a tithe of Titian's creature: God, the master, limner, painted both in thee. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE DEATH OF TITIAN by HUGO VON HOFMANNSTHAL TITIAN by NICHOLAS VACHEL LINDSAY ENDYMION; A MYSTICAL COMMENT ON TITIAN'S 'SACRED AND PROFANE LOVE' by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL AN ENGLISH MOTHER by ROBERT UNDERWOOD JOHNSON BROWNING AT ASOLO by ROBERT UNDERWOOD JOHNSON DEWEY AT MANILA [MAY 1, 1898] by ROBERT UNDERWOOD JOHNSON ILLUSIONS by ROBERT UNDERWOOD JOHNSON THE WISTFUL DAYS by ROBERT UNDERWOOD JOHNSON A CHOPIN FANTASY (ON REMEMBRANCE OF A PRELUDE) by ROBERT UNDERWOOD JOHNSON A DARK DAY by ROBERT UNDERWOOD JOHNSON |
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