Musee des Beaux Arts

Those old-style painters got it right:
Poor Icarus tumbled in free fall,
But folks below ignored his plight.
They had lives to live; as do we all.

Sonnet (Millay)

Time does not bring relief; you all have lied.
My grief burns with a never-ending flame.
I miss him as I watch the rain and tide
And grieve each day for good old whats-his-name.

Love is not love which alters
when it alteration finds.
If this be false I never loved
and never wrote these lines.

Roger - Great job with these. You really are addicted!
A question: If you were to submit the one above, would you put quotation marks around the first two lines? I ask because I have an encapsulation of another poem which ends which the last line of the original poem and figured I had to do that.

Brendan - I like your version too. Don't worry. I only have this one Millay. You won't hear from me on any others. :)

Mary

Mary, I wasn't planning on using quotation marks. If it's not clear which poem is being referenced, then I imagine the joke is pretty much not working. But I don't suppose it couldn't hurt to use quotes, or perhaps italics, if it seems better that way to you.

To His Coy Mistress (again)

I'd love to court but life is short
and then we're dead forever,
so I exhort, my dear, cavort
and sport! It's now or never.
,

PS--

I wonder if piling on one more rhyme isn't too much?


To His Coy Mistress (again)

I'd love to court but life is short
and then we're dead forever,
so I exhort, don't thwart, cavort
and sport! It's now or never.
,

On first looking into Chapman’s Homer

I’d never read Chapman before
and felt like that sky-watcher (Moore);
or those blokes on a peak who weren’t able to speak,
being gobsmacked by all that they saw.

If we had time to play
I'd play all bloody day
But since we're out of luck...

This flea sucked me and now sucks you,
blending in one the blood of two.
So why not sleep with me tonight?
It's safe: I promise not to bite.

John Donne, "The Flea"

Ah, Donne! Good one.


*


Death be not proud. You think you're tough,
Hanging out with pestilence and war?
You'll make us go to sleep, but soon enough
We'll wake forever. Death shall be no more.