Letters To The Roman Friend Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBB DEFE GGGG HEDE BIBE JBJK LMNE MAMB BGMA AMOM EPMF MBBB BMMM MEMM ECEC MDMQ BCOC GMBM| From Martial | A |
| Now is windy and the waves are cresting over | B |
| Fall is soon to come to change the place entirely | C |
| Change of colors moves me Postum even stronger | B |
| Than a girlfriend while she s changing her attire | B |
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| Maidens comfort you but to a certain limit | D |
| Can t go further than an elbow or a kneeline | E |
| While apart from body beauty is more splendid | F |
| An embrace is as impossible as treason | E |
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| I m sending to you Postum friend some reading | G |
| How s the capital Soft bed and rude awakening | G |
| How s Caesar What s he doing Still intriguing | G |
| Still intriguing I imagine and engorging | G |
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| In my garden I am sitting with a night light | H |
| No maid nor mate not even a companion | E |
| But instead of weak and mighty of this planet | D |
| Buzzing pests in their unanimous dominion | E |
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| Here was laid away an Asian merchant Clever | B |
| Merchant was he very diligent yet decent | I |
| He died suddenly malaria To barter | B |
| Business did he come and surely not for this one | E |
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| Next to him a legionnaire under a quartz grave | J |
| In the battles he brought fame to the Empire | B |
| Many times could have been killed Yet died an old brave | J |
| Even here there is no ordinance my dear | K |
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| - | |
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| Maybe chicken really aren t birds my Postum | L |
| Yet a chicken brain should rather take precautions | M |
| An empire if you happened to be born to | N |
| better live in distant province by the ocean | E |
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| Far away from Caesar and away from tempests | M |
| No need to cringe to rush or to be fearful | A |
| You are saying procurators are all looters | M |
| But I d rather choose a looter than a slayer | B |
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| Under thunderstorm to stay with you hetaera | B |
| I agree but let us deal without haggling | G |
| To demand sesterces from a flesh that covers | M |
| is the same as stripping roofs of their own shingle | A |
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| Are you saying that I leak Well where s a puddle | A |
| Leaving puddles hasn t been among my habits | M |
| Once you find yourself some body for a husband | O |
| Then you ll see him take a leak under your blankets | M |
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| Here we ve covered more than half of our life span | E |
| As an old slave by the tavern has just said it | P |
| Turning back we look but only see old ruins | M |
| Surely his view is barbaric but yet candid | F |
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| ve been to hills and now busy with some flowers | M |
| Have to find a pitcher so to pour them water | B |
| How s in Libya my Postum or wherever | B |
| Is it possible that we are still at war there | B |
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| You remember friend the procurator s sister | B |
| On the skinny side however with those plump legs | M |
| You have slept with her then she became a priestess | M |
| Priestess Postum and confers with the creators | M |
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| Do come here we ll have a drink with bread and olives | M |
| Or with plums You ll tell me news about the nation | E |
| In the garden you will sleep under clear heavens | M |
| And I ll tell you how they name the constellations | M |
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| Postum friend of yours once tendered to addition | E |
| Soon shall reimburse deduction his old duty | C |
| Take the savings which you ll find under my cushion | E |
| Haven t got much but for funeral it s plenty | C |
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| On your skewbald take a ride to the hetaeras | M |
| Their house is right by the town limit | D |
| Bid the price we used to pay for them to love us | M |
| They should now get the same for their lament | Q |
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| Laurel s leaves so green it makes your body shudder | B |
| Wide ajar the door a tiny window s dusty | C |
| Long deserted bed an armchair is abandoned | O |
| Noontime sun has been absorbed by the upholstery | C |
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| With the wind by sea point cape a boat is wrestling | G |
| Roars the gulf behind the black fence of the pine trees | M |
| On the old and wind cracked bench Pliny the Elder | B |
| And a thrush is chirping in the mane of cypress | M |
Joseph Brodsky
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