Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne

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    To Victor Hugo


    Orpheus, the night is full of tears and cries,
    And hardly for the storm and ruin shed
    Can even thine eyes be certain of her head
    Who never passed out of thy spirits eyes,
    But stood and shone before them in such wise
    As when with love her lips and hands were fed,
    And with mute mouth out of the dusty dead
    Strove to make answer when thou badst her rise.

    Yet viper-stricken must her lifeblood feel
    The fang that stung her sleeping, the foul germ
    Even when she wakes of hells most poisonous worm,
    Though now it writhe beneath her wounded heel.
    Turn yet, she will not fade nor fly from thee;
    Wait, and see hell yield up Eurydice.

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Type of Poem: Sonnet

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a homage to the legendary French writer Victor Hugo, utilizing the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as an allegory for the power of the poet's voice. The poem is rife with despair and longing, yet also contains an undercurrent of hope and enduring love. The first half of the poem establishes the profound sense of loss Orpheus (or Hugo) feels, desperately clinging to the fading memory of his beloved Eurydice. The latter half introduces the viper's venom as a symbol for the corrosive power of grief and loss, yet ultimately suggests that love and memory can overcome even death itself.

The poem follows a sonnet structure, typically associated with love poetry, further underscoring the theme of undying love. The poet's use of imagery is particularly striking: the 'night full of tears and cries', the 'mute mouth out of the dusty dead', and the 'fang that stung her sleeping'. These vivid descriptions convey the pain of loss and the desperation for reunion, creating a poignant emotional resonance. The final line, urging patience as 'hell yield[s] up Eurydice', leaves the reader with a sense of hope, the possibility of redemption and reunion, a testament to the power of the poet's voice. Despite the sorrow, the poem's tone ultimately is one of resilience and faith in the transformative power of love and art.