A Face In A Book

By Richard Le Gallienne

Narrative Poem
    In an old book I found her face         Writ by a dead man long ago -     I found, and then I lost the place;         So nothing but her face I know,         And her soft name writ fair below.     Even if she lived I cannot learn,         Or but a dead man's dream she were;     Page after yellow page I turn,         But cannot come again to her,         Although I know she must be there.     On other books of other men,         Far in the night, year-long, I pore,     Hoping to find her face again,         Too fair a face to see no more -         And 'twas so soft a name she bore.     Sometimes I think the book was Youth,         And the dead man that wrote it I,     The face was Beauty, the name Truth -         And thus, with an unseeing eye,         I pass the long-sought image by.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem is a meditation on the elusiveness of lost love, conveyed through a search for a forgotten face in an old book. The poem's formal structure, with its consistent rhyme and stanza pattern, belies its introspective and melancholic tone. The use of meter, with an iambic tetrameter rhythm, adds to the sense of wistful longing. The voice is that of a speaker who has become obsessed with the face, which is described in terms of its beauty and softness, and is willing to spend years searching for it in old books. A structural turn occurs in the final stanza, where the speaker seems to lose their object of desire, suggesting that the search itself has become the only reality. The tone shifts from one of hope to one of resignation, as the speaker acknowledges that they may have been blind to the face all along. The observation that stands out is the way the speaker's search for the face has become a metaphor for the search for meaning in life, highlighting the tension between the desire for connection and the elusiveness of true understanding.

Exploring Narrative Poetry

Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often making use of the voices of a narrator and characters as well. Unlike lyric poetry, which focuses on emotions and thoughts, narrative poetry is dedicated to storytelling, weaving tales that captivate readers through plot and character development.

Narrative poems are unique in their ability to combine the depth of storytelling with the expressive qualities of poetry. Here are some defining characteristics:

  • Structured Plot: Narrative poems typically have a clear beginning, middle, and end, following a plot that might involve conflict, climax, and resolution, much like a short story or novel.
  • Character Development: Characters in narrative poems are often well-developed, with distinct voices and personalities that drive the story forward.
  • Descriptive Language: The language used in narrative poetry is vivid and descriptive, painting a clear picture of the scenes and events, while also conveying the emotions and atmosphere of the story.

From ancient epics like "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" to more modern narrative poems, this form continues to engage readers by blending the art of storytelling with the beauty and rhythm of poetry.