Eidolons

By Madison Julius Cawein

Narrative Poem
    The white moth-mullein brushed its slim     Cool, faery flowers against his knee;     In places where the way lay dim     The branches, arching suddenly,     Made tomblike mystery for him.     The wild-rose and the elder, drenched     With rain, made pale a misty place, -     From which, as from a ghost, he blenched;     He walking with averted face,     And lips in desolation clenched.     For far within the forest, - where     Weird shadows stood like phantom men,     And where the ground-hog dug its lair,     The she-fox whelped and had her den, -     The thing kept calling, buried there.     One dead trunk, like a ruined tower,     Dark-green with toppling trailers, shoved     Its wild wreck o'er the bush; one bower     Looked like a dead man, capped and gloved,     The one who haunted him each hour.     Now at his side he heard it: thin     As echoes of a thought that speaks     To conscience. Listening with his chin     Upon his palm, against his cheeks     He felt the moon's white finger win.     And now the voice was still: and lo,     With eyes that stared on naught but night,     He saw? - what none on earth shall know! -     Was it the face that far from sight     Had lain here, buried long ago?     But men who found him, - thither led     By the wild fox, - within that place     Read in his stony eyes, 'tis said,     The thing he saw there, face to face,     The thing that left him staring dead.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem uses rich, evocative language to create a narrative that is both haunting and mysterious, with themes of fear, nature, and the supernatural. The poem's tone is dark and foreboding, inspiring a sense of dread and unease as the protagonist ventures deeper into the forest.

Structurally, the poem is composed in a traditional verse form, and each stanza progresses the narrative further into the protagonist's eerie journey. The poet employs a variety of literary devices to enhance the poem's atmosphere, including vivid imagery, personification, and similes. For instance, the description of a "dead trunk, like a ruined tower" creates a striking image of decay and desolation.

The poem also effectively uses suspense, leaving the exact nature of the 'thing' the protagonist encounters ambiguous, which enhances the sense of horror. The final line, where we learn the protagonist was found "staring dead," leaves the reader with a chilling conclusion, implying a fatal encounter with an unearthly presence.

Overall, the poem effectively blends elements of nature with the supernatural to create a compelling and haunting narrative. The use of vivid imagery and suspenseful storytelling makes it a captivating read, while its exploration of fear and the unknown offers intriguing thematic depth.

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.