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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
ISTHMIAN ODES: 8. THR MARRIAGE OF THETIS, by PINDAR Poet's Biography First Line: Nor were the courts divine Last Line: To crown a brave man dead with strains of heavenly fire. Subject(s): Marriage; Weddings; Husbands; Wives | |||
Nor were the courts divine Unmindful of their worth, when highest Zeus With glorious bright Poseidon strove, Since both were captured by the love Of beauteous Thetis; yet did they refuse, In their immortal wisdom, to fulfil Her marriage with a god, but bowed to Fate's own will, When Themis in their midst with counsel fair Uttered these words of doom: 'The Fates require This goddess of the sea to bear A prince more potent than his sire And if her love to Zeus she yield Or to his brethren, then her son will wield A weapon to outbrave the thunder's might Or the dread Trident. Put your purpose by, And rather let her wed a mortal wight, And see her son in mortal battle die, A son strong-armed as Ares, and with feet That match the fiery lightning swift. I pray you, grant the Heavenly gift To Peleus, son of AEacus. 'Tis meet This marriage should be his, whom all maintain The most God-fearing man reared on Iolchos' plain. 'These tidings speed to Chiron's holy cave Forthwith, and let not Nereus child again Lay in our palms this issue grave, These leaves of strife, but, ere the wane Of this full moon, for him alone At evening's hour unloose her maiden zone.' These words to Cronus' Sons the goddess said, And they with brows immortal bowed assent; Nor did the fruit of her wise utterance fade, For Zeus with such a marriage waxed content, Nor have the lips of poets sung in vain To men unversed, in mellow rhyme, The glory of Achilles' prime, Who once imbrued the vine-clad Mysian plain With the black blood of Telephus, and gave The Atreidae safe return across the late-bridged wave. And he delivered Helen, when his spear Cut Troy's strong sinews that had stayed his toil Of deadly carnage many a year On Ilion's plain, till on the soil He laid the might of Memnon low, Stout Hector, and the foremost of the foe. To them that champion of the AEacid name Revealed Persephone's dim dwelling-place, And lifted to the starry heights of fame AEgina's isle and his own glorious race. Nor did sweet songs forsake him after death, For Helicon's own maiden choir Stood by his tomb and funeral pyre, Hymning his dirge with many a tuneful breath; For thus it was the Immortal Gods' desire To crown a brave man dead with strains of Heavenly fire. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A BLESSING FOR A WEDDING by JANE HIRSHFIELD A SUITE FOR MARRIAGE by DAVID IGNATOW ADVICE TO HER SON ON MARRIAGE by MARY BARBER THE RABBI'S SON-IN-LAW by SABINE BARING-GOULD |
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