The sonnet sequence, "My Human Disguise," of 600 ekphrastic poems, was begun February 2011 and completed January 15, 2022. It can be found beginning with the January 20, 2022 post and working backwards. Going forward are 20 poems called "Terzata," beginning on January 27, 2022. Thirty more Terzata can be found among the links on the right. A new series of dramatic monologues follows on the blog roll, followed by a series of formal poems, each based on a single word.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Saint George Killing The Dragon (Bernat Martorell)
#72
Expect a grimace of mercy from a saint,
When he thrusts a spear into a dragon's jaw.
The beast won't easily die; he'll cringe and feint
(Unlike the knight, he knows only natural law,
Which teaches treachery and ruthlessness),
And try to take the horse down before the rider.
Both are images of murderous righteousness,
Doomed, the dying serpent and the future martyr,
With only a hammered and honed sliver of iron
Hovering between the dragon and the paragon.
The villagers offered the princess as a sacrifice.
To double his armor the wise knight prayed,
Or was it to erase the vision of her perfect face?
It isn't clear, who is slayer and who is slayed.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment