Carolyn's Blog

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Some Poetry

In honor of National Poetry Month (I think it is, anyway) Here's one of my favorite poems, by H.D.

Sea Violet

The white violet
is scented on its stalk,
the sea-violet
fragile as agate,
lies fronting all the wind
among the torn shells
on the sand-bank.

The greater blue violets
flutter on the hill,
but who would change for these
who would change for these
one root of the white sort?

Violet
your grasp is frail
on the edge of the sand-hill,
but you catch the light--
frost, a star edges with its fire.

I'd never even heard of H.D. before grad school, and I'm glad I was introduced to her poetry. Her fiction, not so much, but her poetry, yes. She was a compatriot, lover, friend of Ezra Pound, who was responsible for giving her the intials H.D. (Her name was Hilda Dolittle.) Sea Violet is my favorite of hers, I think. I love the language and the image and the emotion of this poem.

Labels: Poetry

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