Myris: Alexandria, A.d. 340 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFDGHIJKGCCLCCMG GDNCOCCCCCPPQRSCCLCT UPLPPCCPVAWDXYDDCPXD DZDWXZPLCCD| When I heard the terrible news that Myris was dead | A |
| I went to his house although I avoid | B |
| going to the houses of Christians | C |
| especially during times of mourning or festivity | D |
| I stood in the corridor I didn't want | E |
| to go further inside because I noticed | F |
| that the relatives of the deceased looked at me | D |
| with obvious surprise and displeasure | G |
| They had him in a large room | H |
| and from the corner where I stood | I |
| I could catch a glimpse of it all precious carpets | J |
| and vessels in silver and gold | K |
| I stood and wept in a corner of the corridor | G |
| And I thought how our parties and excursions | C |
| wouldn't be worthwhile now without Myris | C |
| and I thought how I'd no longer see him | L |
| at our wonderfully indecent night long sessions | C |
| enjoying himself laughing and reciting verses | C |
| with his perfect feel for Greek rhythm | M |
| and I thought how I'd lost forever | G |
| his beauty lost forever | G |
| the young man I'd worshipped so passionately | D |
| Some old women close to me were talking with lowered | N |
| voices | C |
| about the last day he lived | O |
| the name of Christ constantly on his lips | C |
| his hand holding a cross | C |
| Then four Christian priests | C |
| came into the room and said prayers | C |
| fervently and orisons to Jesus | C |
| or to Mary I'm not very familiar with their religion | P |
| We'd known of course that Myris was a Christian | P |
| known it from the very start | Q |
| when he first joined our group the year before last | R |
| But he lived exactly as we did | S |
| more devoted to pleasure than all of us | C |
| he scattered his money lavishly on amusements | C |
| Not caring what anyone thought of him | L |
| he threw himself eagerly into night time scuffles | C |
| when our group happened to clash | T |
| with some rival group in the street | U |
| He never spoke about his religion | P |
| And once we even told him | L |
| that we'd take him with us to the Serapeion | P |
| But I remember now | P |
| he didn't seem to like this joke of ours | C |
| And yes now I recall two other incidents | C |
| When we made libations to Poseidon | P |
| he drew himself back from our circle and looked elsewhere | V |
| And when one of us in his fervour said | A |
| 'May all of us be favoured and protected | W |
| by the great the sublime Apollo' | D |
| Myris unheard by the others whispered 'Not counting | X |
| me ' | Y |
| The Christian priests were praying loudly | D |
| for the young man's soul | D |
| I noticed with how much diligence | C |
| how much intense concern | P |
| for the forms of their religion they were preparing | X |
| everything for the Christian funeral | D |
| And suddenly an odd sensation took hold of me | D |
| indefinably I felt | Z |
| as if Myris were going from me | D |
| I felt that he a Christian was united | W |
| with his own people and that I was becoming | X |
| a stranger a total stranger I even felt | Z |
| a doubt come over me that I'd been deceived by my passion | P |
| and has always been a stranger to him | L |
| I rushed out of their horrible house | C |
| rushed away before my memory of Myris | C |
| could be captured could be perverted by their Christianity | D |
Constantine P. Cavafy
(1)
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About Myris: Alexandria, A.d. 340
Myris: Alexandria, A.d. 340 is a poem by Constantine P. Cavafy. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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