Very Seldom



He's an old man. Used up and bent,
crippled by time and indulgence,
he slowly walks along the narrow street.
But when he goes inside his house to hide
the shambles of his old age, his mind turns
to the share in youth that still belongs to him.

His verse is now recited by young men.
His visions come before their lively eyes.
Their healthy sensual minds,
their shapely taut bodies
stir to his perception of the beautiful.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 22, 2023

24 sec read
95

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXXXXX XXXXX
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 419
Words 80
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 6, 5

Constantine P. Cavafy

 · 1863 · Alexandria

Constantine P. Cavafy was a Greek poet who lived in Alexandria and worked as a journalist and civil servant. He published 154 poems; dozens more remained incomplete or in sketch form. His most important poetry was written after his fortieth birthday. more…

All Constantine P. Cavafy poems | Constantine P. Cavafy Books

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    "Very Seldom" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/7280/very-seldom>.

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