eclipse poems?
I teach at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The first day of the fall term is 8/21, the same day the eclipse will be passing right over head. Besides the syllabus, on the first day of class I usually share a bit of content to whet the students' appetites. So I'm looking for something pertaining to eclipses.
That morning for Great Books, Homer to Milton, I may go with Milton's Satan and his "glory obscured" (pasted below), though we won't get to Paradise Lost till Thanksgiving. Does anyone recall something relevant in Homer? (Usually I go with Keats' After Reading Chapman's Homer.)
I'll also be teaching Intro to Poetry, mostly non-majors. Are there any tidy lyrics on eclipses? In the past I've gone with Blake's Sick Rose to intrigue them.
Paradise Lost 1.589f
Thir dread commander: he above the rest
In shape and gesture proudly eminent [ 590 ]
Stood like a Towr; his form had yet not lost
All her Original brightness, nor appear'd
Less then Arch Angel ruind, and th' excess
Of Glory obscur'd: As when the Sun new ris'n
Looks through the Horizontal misty Air [ 595 ]
Shorn of his Beams, or from behind the Moon
In dim Eclips disastrous twilight sheds
On half the Nations, and with fear of change
Perplexes Monarchs. Dark'n'd so, yet shon
Above them all th' Arch Angel: but his face [ 600 ]
Deep scars of Thunder had intrencht, and care
Sat on his faded cheek, but under Browes
Of dauntless courage, and considerate Pride
Waiting revenge: cruel his eye . . .
|