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Storms over Paris

I tremble like a restless leaf
And quake beneath the looming clouds
That gather anger in their wake,
And all the earth with darkness shrouds.

That tempest pitch from Sparta comes
Convulsing the Ægean Sea
With ruthless storms toward ilium,
Where this fair maiden is with me.

Oh, go back Fate to purer days—
When light refulgent filled the skies;
When Troy knew spring, and I knew love;
When joy fell soft from Helen’s eyes …

About this poem

When Paris eloped with Helen from Sparta, ‘stealing’ her away to his homeland of Ilium (i.e. Troy), the entire Greek world of the Achaeans sought revenge and set out over the black Ægean Sea to wreak havoc on the Trojans. This is hardly typical of my method, but in this particular case the title of the poem proceeded the poem itself. I thought it would be fun to have an innocently deceptive title, so that whoever saw it would think that the poem would be about rain showers over Paris, France—not the looming destruction of Troy.  

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Submitted by Vixility on May 14, 2024

Modified by Vixility on May 14, 2024

26 sec read
72 Views

John W. May

John W. May has lived in Colorado all his life. He currently works in the field of ophthalmology and loves to mountain bike and read about history. John first became a lover of poetry in 2008 after having read a poem by John Milton. He has been reading and studying the works of various poets since. His favorite poets are Emily Dickinson, Fyodor Tyutchev and W. B. Yeats. more…

All John W. May poems | John W. May Books

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Discuss the poem Storms over Paris with the community...

4 Comments
  • Symmetry60
    Good heavens, man! I don't know whether to toss my pen into the sea or cry like a little girl. Something about this invoked a sense that I've lived before to experience what you've written. Do you ever feel like you carry some memory of a past life? I feel, at times, like I do. It's odd.

    Talk about crescendo:
    "Oh, go back Fate to purer days --
    When light refulgent filled the skies;
    When Troy knew spring, and I knew love;
    When joy fell soft from Helen's eyes.

    You have writing right down to the dash, hyphen, semicolon, apostrophe, comma, period and so on. I note the use of capitalization on certain terms to denote a significance to the word, a la, "Fate." You understand the use of possessives such as, "Helen's eyes," with an apostrophe referring to her eyes. I get very particular about this myself right down to the comma following the word "Oh" used as an exclamatory. Such sticklers we be. LoL

    WRITE...A....BOOK!!!
     
    LikeReply16 mins ago
  • cokerrogers
    Too cool man. Im assuming you were watching a storm roll in but may I ask what season? Im guessing early autumn? Forgive me if my interpretation is off but either way I was transported the battle of troy only it was in the clouds above paris. Your style has influenced me with this one. Thanks John. 
    LikeReply6 hours ago
  • kem330
    This was beautifully written. I really enjoyed reading this and its clearly deep meanings depicted within the mere words. Loved it.
    LikeReply 110 hours ago
  • susan.brumel
    I wish my commentary matched yours in its eloquence. But sadly, it doesn’t, so I will say in my own way- I love this poem! I like its traditional style, its imagery, and the imagination it took to write it. Gives the brain a healthy twist, in the discovery of what’s transpiring on the page. Great piece, John. Thank you for sharing it. 
    LikeReply 215 hours ago
    • Vixility
      Oh man! Thank you for stopping by and checking out the poem. Having become one of the biggest fans of your own writing, your comment is for me tremendously meaningful!

      Thank you, Sue
      LikeReply 215 hours ago
    • cokerrogers
      I agree. He is a very inspiring talent.
      LikeReply6 hours ago

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