The Blind Harper

By Madison Julius Cawein

Narrative Poem
    And thus it came my feet were led      To wizard walls that hairy hung     Old as their rock the moss made dead;      And, like a ditch of fire flung     Around it, uncouth flowers red      Thrust spur and fang and tongue.     And here I harped. Did dead men list?      Or was it hollow hinges gnarred     Huge, iron scorn in donjon-twist?      And when I thought a face sword-scarred     Would curse me, lo! a woman kissed      At me hands ringed and starred.     And so I sang; for she had leaned      Rare beauty to me, dark and tall;     I sang of Love, whose Court is queened      Of Alinor the virginal,     Nor saw how rolled on me a fiend      Wolf-eyeballs from the wall.     Oh, how I sang! until she laughed      Red lips that made lute harmony;     I sang of knights who fought and quaffed      To Love's own paragon, Marie -     Nor saw the suzerain whose shaft      Was bowed and bent on me.     And I had harped until she wept;      But when I sang of Ermengarde     Of Anjou, - where her Court is kept      By brave, by beauty, and by bard, -     She turned a raven there and swept      Me, like a fury, 'ward.     A bleeding beak had pierced my sight;      A crimson claw each cheek had lined;     One glimpse: wild walls of threatening night      Heaped raven battlements behind     A moat of blazing serpents bright -      And then I wandered blind.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem is rich in vivid and dark imagery, crafting a fantastical and somewhat Gothic landscape that is both captivating and unsettling. The speaker describes a journey into an eerie, ancient place filled with 'wizard walls,' 'uncouth flowers red,' and 'wild walls of threatening night.' It is a setting that evokes both fascination and fear, suggesting themes of exploration, danger, and the supernatural.

The speaker’s interaction with the unnamed woman is central to the narrative. She appears to be both a muse and a menace, evoking a range of emotions from the speaker—admiration, desire, fear—that mirror the fluctuating tone of the poem. The speaker sings for her, but his songs, filled with chivalric love and bravery, don't prevent the woman from transforming into a raven and attacking him. This act is significant; it implies a critique of romantic idealism and warns of the dangers of illusion and deception.

The structure of the poem, with its regular rhyme scheme and meter, lends a rhythmic, almost hypnotic quality that intensifies the sense of immersion into this strange, nightmarish world. Literary devices such as simile ('like a ditch of fire flung') and metaphor ('rolled on me a fiend') are used effectively to enhance the fantastical and ominous atmosphere. The ending, with the speaker wandering blind, leaves the reader with a lingering sense of unease and uncertainty, echoing the poem’s themes of danger and deception.

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.