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 | Collected poems of Herman Melville |  |
408
PUZZLEMENT
AS TO A FIGURE LEFT SOLITARY ON A UNIQUE FRAGMENT OF GREEK BASSO-RILIEVO
A crescent brow—a quiver thrown
Behind the shoulder. A huntress, own.
It needs be Artemis. But, nay,
It breathes too much of Eve's sweet way,
And Artemis is high, austere,
Chill as her morn, a goddess mere.
Behind the shoulder. A huntress, own.
It needs be Artemis. But, nay,
It breathes too much of Eve's sweet way,
And Artemis is high, austere,
Chill as her morn, a goddess mere.
She bends, and with one backward hand
Adjusts her buskin light,
The sidelong face upturned—how arch!
Sure, somebody meets her sight.
Adjusts her buskin light,
The sidelong face upturned—how arch!
Sure, somebody meets her sight.
But never virgin on another
Virgin, or approaching brother
Turned a look like that, I wis.
Profane, if meant for Artemis!
Why, could one but piece out the stone—
Complete restore its primal state,
Some handsome fellow would be shown,
Some Laon she would fascinate
By that arch look.—
Nay—can it be?
Again methinks 't is Artemis.
Rogue of a Greek! and is it she?
Show'st thou the goddess, human yet—
The austere Artemis a coquette?
If so in sooth, some latter age
In faith's decay begot thine art—
Such impudence of sweet persiflage!
Virgin, or approaching brother
Turned a look like that, I wis.
Profane, if meant for Artemis!
Why, could one but piece out the stone—
Complete restore its primal state,
Some handsome fellow would be shown,
Some Laon she would fascinate
By that arch look.—
Nay—can it be?
Again methinks 't is Artemis.
Rogue of a Greek! and is it she?
409
The austere Artemis a coquette?
If so in sooth, some latter age
In faith's decay begot thine art—
Such impudence of sweet persiflage!
| Collected poems of Herman Melville | |