I might have liked to live in Milton’s day,
Those years he dwelt beneath St. Peter’s shade;
When Jonson, Shakespeare, Donne, and more might stay
For hours at the Mermaid Inn, and strayed,
Perhaps, down Bread Street on their nightly way
Back home, reciting poems newly made;
When stacks of precious books, fresh-pressed, might lay
In open stalls, for eager minds to raid.
But then I think…of bloody swords, of knives
Unsheathed in wrath; of dying infants, burning
Towns, sparse bodies choked and black with plague,
Of ruined hopes and ruined, battered lives…;
And see in this a dim, romantic yearning,
For a never-was-time, ill-devised, and vague.
A contest entry
- I Weep For Times Long Past by Shakespeare.
875 points, ended January 19, 9 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 11 of 11
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Funny ...
I wrote a poem with just such a theme once, called "Nostalgic, Get Real."
Sadly it was free verse, and not nearly as good as this one. Then again, I'm getting used to that.
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When stacks of precious books, fresh-pressed, might lay
In open stalls, for eager minds to raid.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Towns, sparse bodies choked and black with plague,
Of ruined hopes and ruined, battered lives…;
~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
There probably isn’t a time that is all good or all bad.
What keeps me from wanting to go back in time is
the lack of adequate indoor plumbing. And being someone’s
property.
Your poem is excellent and deserves to be one of the winners in this contest.
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So true. "Lack of adequate indoor plumbing" doesn't even begin to cover it--for one of my classes, we talked about everyday life in the 17th Century...between medicine and plumbing alone, their world was a horrorshow.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.
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Brilliant
I certainly would have liked to have beeen there too!
Your words are so descriptive that I could almost feel myself being there, what an honour that would have been, but you also captured the other side of that life
in that era.
Well done! and good luck in the contest
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I love the contrast between the day dream and the acknowledge reality. Short and sweet but never missing a beat in catching the enchantment of yesteryear and the harsh reality of history. Enjoyed this.
Peace & Light,
Tom B.
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damn! I can equate this to talent of a well-experienced writer! Nice job and good luck in my contest! This is the kind of work I expect and you are no disappointment to my expectations!
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The thought of H G Wells Time Machine being a reality would bring this contest to so much life, it would be fun to visit but when you think of the horrible and cruel things that happened back then, we are most probably better off here safe at home. Still the dreams are nice and this sonnet is very, very well done. Love, C
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All it takes to keep me firmly planted in the 21st century is to glance at 17th century medicines. If the disease--even simple ones that we barely notice today--didn't kill you, the cures certainly would. But even so, there is always that hint of nostalgia about a time we've come to know through reading and imagination. Maybe a Time Machine that lets us watch but not actually be there.
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Ah!
I can relate to the sentiments of this poem. To be part of a circle of great poets, writing together, sharing their emotions and their expressions, a raum within, so vast and so exciting ...
And yes. Reality does not look the same now. But drugs, abortion, killing of innocent, abuse, and evil acts are swiftly leading to the decline of civilization ...
You write such neat poetry. Do you know?
Love
Myra
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The rythm of this poem is reminiscent of Marilyn Hacker's great poem "Electra on Third Avenue". The research is impeccable. And this is nonpareil --- "sparse bodies choked and black with plague". Delightful poem, micol.
A60sMan
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Thanks. I guess I've lived in the 17th century too long. I've got maps showing all of Milton's homes, engravings of St. Peters before and after the Great Fire, books on the plague. It's a fascinating time...and I'm glad I don't have to live there. But it might be really interesting to visit...for a very short while.
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