Hysteron Proteron

by erotema   May 7, 2005



what perfect silence Death imparts to those
who wait with sealed eyes. there’s no more pain
in sacrifice of life, nor any doors to close.
the end has come, and i’ve no more to gain...

oh Sleep! and i, with shorten'd breath. the time
has come for my dim day-star’s journey west.
while i am saying evening psalms sublime,
my soul is joyful for each moment’s rest.

i pray to thee, oh God, to ease my path,
for Life has made my stay a sullen hell.
i’ve not incurred blind Fate’s ungodly wrath
and ne'er entreated Death to toll that bell.

my life, in retrospect, goes much awry;
i'll not allow thee, Time, to pass me by.

    report violation
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  • 19 years ago

    by Lucy Loves Not

    How refreshing to read your work again! I came across one of your critiques for someone's poem and paused to read your username, thinking to myself, "I almost remember reading his work". Certainly I remembered you but I did not recall how wonderful your work is!

    I love this poem. I wish I could critique it but I've found myself without any words.
    It cannot be bettered.

    It is not often, by chance, that we find others on this site to exchange real, beneficial critiques with one another. I'd greatly appreciate if you checked out some of my poems.

    Lucy Loves Not

  • 19 years ago

    by Dorotea©

    I must say that your poems are all thoroughly written. They make sense it some ways, and in other ways I have to think a lot before I understand what I think you mean. That is truly great that you are able to make the reader think with your poems. Keep writing, I enjoyed this write.
    Dorotea

  • 19 years ago

    by erotema

    "hysteron proteron" is defined as reversal of normal order of two words or sentence. in this case, its a reversal of the order in which things went. the third stanza is first, the second is middle, and the first is the last thing to happen. the last couplet is a summary of the idea of "hysteron proteron".

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