Ylladmar

By James Whitcomb Riley

Narrative Poem
    Her hair was, oh, so dense a blur     Of darkness, midnight envied her;     And stars grew dimmer in the skies     To see the glory of her eyes;     And all the summer rain of light     That showered from the moon at night     Fell o'er her features as the gloom     Of twilight o'er a lily-bloom.     The crimson fruitage of her lips     Was ripe and lush with sweeter wine     Than burgundy or muscadine     Or vintage that the burgher sips     In some old garden on the Rhine:     And I to taste of it could well     Believe my heart a crucible     Of molten love - and I could feel     The drunken soul within me reel     And rock and stagger till it fell.     And do you wonder that I bowed     Before her splendor as a cloud     Of storm the golden-sandaled sun     Had set his conquering foot upon?     And did she will it, I could lie     In writhing rapture down and die     A death so full of precious pain     I'd waken up to die again.

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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 sensual and ecstatic ode to a woman, with its dense, rich language and intricate structure mirroring the speaker's overwhelming passion. The poem's form is characterized by a consistent iambic tetrameter, with a loose, lyrical quality that suits the speaker's effusive tone. The use of enjambment and caesura adds to the sense of urgency and excitement, as the speaker's emotions spill over into the lines. The rhyme scheme, primarily based on internal rhymes and assonance, reinforces the musical quality of the language, while the stanza pattern creates a sense of fluid, unstructured movement. A significant tonal shift occurs in the third stanza, as the speaker's language becomes more expansive and almost mythological, with the woman being likened to a cloud and a storm. This shift is accompanied by a subtle change in the speaker's voice, from the intimate, personal address of the first two stanzas to a more expansive, almost divine tone. The observation that the speaker's heart is a crucible / Of molten love highlights the poem's central theme of all-consuming passion, and the speaker's willingness to surrender to it.

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.