Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BUCOLIC COMEDY: THE HIGHER SENSUALISM, by EDITH SITWELL Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Queen circe, the farmer's wife at the fair Last Line: Hornpipe and rigaudon on the fair's ground. | ||||||||
QUEEN CIRCE, the farmer's wife at the Fair, Met three sailor-men stumping there, Who came from the parrot-plumed sea, Yo-Ho! And each his own trumpet began to blow. "We come," said they, "from the Indian seas, All bright as a parrot's feathers, and these Break on gold sands of the perfumed isles, Where the fruit is soft as a siren's smiles, And the sun is as black as a Nubian. We singed the beard of the King of Spain. . . . Then we wandered once more on the South Sea strand Where the icebergs seem Heavenly Mansions fanned By the softest wind from the groves of spice, And the angels like birds of paradise Flit there: and we caught this queer-plumaged boy (An angel, he calls himself) for a toy." * * * * * The Angel sighed: "Please, ma'am, if you'll spare Me a trumpet, the angels will come to the Fair; For even an angel must have his fling, And ride on the roundabout, in the swing!" She gave him a trumpet, but never a blare Reached the angels from Midsummer Fair, Though he played, "Will you hear a spanish lady?" And "Jack the Sailor," "Sweet Nelly," "Trees shady" -- For only the gay hosannas of flowers Sound, loud as brass bands, in those heavenly bowers. Queen Circe said, "Young man, I will buy Your plumaged coat for my pig to try -- Then with angels he'll go a-dancing hence From sensuality into sense!" The Fair's tunes like cherries and apricots Ripened; the angels danced from their green grots; Their hair was curled like the fruit on the trees . . . Rigaudon, sarabande, danced they these. And the pig points his toe and he curves his wings, The music starts, and away he flings -- Dancing with angels all in a round, Hornpipe and rigaudon on the Fair's ground. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BUCOLIC COMEDY: EARLY SPRING by EDITH SITWELL BUCOLIC COMEDY: FLEECING TIME by EDITH SITWELL BUCOLIC COMEDY: FOX TROT by EDITH SITWELL BUCOLIC COMEDY: KING COPHETUA AND THE BEGGAR MAID by EDITH SITWELL BUCOLIC COMEDY: SERENADE by EDITH SITWELL BUCOLIC COMEDY: SPINNING SONG by EDITH SITWELL BUCOLIC COMEDY: SPRING by EDITH SITWELL BUCOLIC COMEDY: THE BEAR by EDITH SITWELL BUCOLIC COMEDY: THE DOLL by EDITH SITWELL BUCOLIC COMEDY: THE FOX; FOR ANN PEARN by EDITH SITWELL BUCOLIC COMEDY: WHY by EDITH SITWELL ELEGY: THE GHOST WHOSE LIPS WERE WARM; FOR GEOFFREY GORER by EDITH SITWELL |
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