Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A VISIT TO THE POET, by RODOLFO PUCELLI


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A VISIT TO THE POET, by                    
First Line: The bard received me with open-heartedness ...
Last Line: Bowed underneath the universe.
Subject(s): Books; Poetry & Poets; Writing & Writers; Reading


The Bard received me with open-heartedness, greeting me gaily.
He said: "You are welcome!" And I
Could glance at his face among

The candid hair and at his eyes
That behind the glasses were
Spreading blue flashes similar
To those coming from the sky.

We talked for a while about this
And that, especially about strains.
Then he got up to show me his
Books, according to my request.

Oh, how many, how many! A great
Number of them were finely bound,
With covers in leather and gold,
Neat and very pleasing and handy.

He was taking them from the shelves,
He was caressing them with his
Almost waxen hands very softly,
Described them to me by degrees. . . .

Among those severe volumes
Which represent all his treasure,
Which for him are worthier than
The gold shut in iron-chests,

He lives again his lofty past,
His joys, delights and sufferings,
And his fame by which already he was
Gently kissed upon the forehead;

And he dreams of a world to come
More beautiful, noble and spotless
For the man, who still is living
In the dark, but wants to make progress,

For the man of whom already
Eight lustres ago with divine
Mind and solemn, highflown line
He sang the doleful destiny.

Now his cycle is towards the close
Like that of any enormous star
And his spirit goes calmly to repose,
Nor deceives itself any more;

But remains his lively verse
Which engraves the man with the hoe
Upon the ground, a prey to pain,
Bowed underneath the universe.




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