Swan Lake Ballet



Swan Lake Ballet
By William He

Frolicsome flights on strings and harps,
The Prince with the golden crown.
The wine-red hand,
The flute's endearing notes,
Of imitating flattering silhouettes and arcs.
Gliding along floor,
The poetic pixie piccolos,
Perfect continuum between explosion and still.
Feeling alone yet surrounded,
His life's real color hard to choose.

Graceful and costumed in white,
She glides and silently suffers,
Sheering away from images she dwells on.
Odette raising her arms,
Nimble as descending seraph,
A beauteous figure rises on the tip toes.
In the orchestra narrative,
He is pirouetting up and down.
Von Rothbart's sorcery,
Riding her eclipses of beauty.
Dance of the cygnets,
Pirouettes and high leaps,
Imbuing childhood dreams.

It is the magical coalition,
Like float comes the beau,
Beckoning the belle in amorous hue.
Allegro moderato,
Coyly moving in hesitant grace,
They in a quick swift movement,
Sound likes a quaint orchestration,
Siegfried rising in a languid mood.
Gyrating to the strong beat,
Ground slips under their feet,
And the music is harmonizing to her Fouette,
Odile here and now,
Like nothing can separate them.
While weeping appears,
The lyre and violin start roaring,
Swan alone with a broken heart.

On Swan Lake he twirling around,
Marching in circles around the root,
Snow keeps monotoning tongue with him.
Velvety theme soothes,
A parable in the pathless shadow,
Light stream through parting clouds,
A pas de deux with infinite partners,
She behind the glow as a shooting star.
As butterfly wings their legs flutter,
And waft collinear paths behind them,
Should their souls from foreign broils keep free,
In dreams and in eyes,
They are cheering the weighted heart.
Scene finale moderato melodies and harmonies,
Oboe's rhythm in notes,
Through bright resonance flow.

莺啼序 芭蕾舞天鹅湖
作者:何威廉

翩跹角徽弱冠,
早罗缨六穗。
玉酒湛、
画阁升音,
逸姿闲婉韶靡。
滑步顿、
繁弦脆管,
柔伸雀跃腾掀坠。
想芳菲弥满,
禽鸣林坞浑粹。

白鹄翩飘,
立半足指,
正冀望携俪。
奥杰塔、
眄睐频回,
轻颦轻笑忧愧。
七弦声、
竦躯鹤立,
九转蝶、
旋环身意。
击脚弹,
组绣纤腰,
回眸青岁。

使轺结辙,
当户三星,
对千金蛾翠。
情默默、
愁颤秀靥,
谁寄缄情,
变奏中鸣,
恍惘心誓。
双飞百匝,
翔佯圆晕,
斯须地轴挥鞭转,
黑天鹅、
左右人姝丽。
惊鸿避面,
迸出闪电飞光,
欲说悲怆临睨。

追寻芳趾,
仙氅洲迷,
更郁纡雪翳。
野云暗,
露华萝薜,
影蘸葵心,
水袖风裳,
冷光游曳。
湖心化蝶,
鸥波溶漾,
残妆倩影芳魂去,
入东虚、
系五丝祗畏。
竖琴慢调柔濡,
玄幻遐幽,
舞筵灵瑞。

About this poem

A poetic and musical exploration of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, capturing the complex interplay of love, magic, suffering, and redemption. Through imagery, emotional depth, and lyrical fluency, the poem encapsulates the timeless themes of Swan Lake, drawing readers into the world of the ballet with its graceful, ephemeral beauty. In doing so, He not only honors the narrative of Swan Lake, but also elevates its universal emotional and thematic resonances. The poem invites readers to contemplate the eternal tension between beauty and suffering, illusion and reality, and the transformative power of love.  

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Written on April 03, 2021

Submitted by chinamcc8 on November 22, 2024

Modified by chinamcc8 on November 22, 2024

2:04 min read
1,402

Quick analysis:

Scheme AB CDXEXXCXXX XFXXGXGDBBCXX HIXAXXHXJJAXKXXL DXXXIXFXXKBXLXEI
Closest metre Iambic dimeter
Characters 2,815
Words 412
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 2, 10, 13, 16, 16, 2, 10, 13, 16, 16

William He

 · 1961

William Yu He graduated from two of the most prestigious law schools in China respectively, also studied in Heidelberg, Cambridge and Harvard. He has published dozens of classical poems and lyrics in Chinese language. Three of his poems were collected in the antholog “call my name and I 'll be there" published in February, 2024. He is know for five of his poems included in the anthology in English "Dancing on Moonbeams" published in USA in September, 2024. He already published his English poetry anthology "Eyes Wide Open: Poems by William He" in USA. The Incumbent President of China quoted his classic poem in 2017. The President of Harvard University recognized his achievements in June, 2021. more…

All William He poems | William He Books

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Discuss the poem Swan Lake Ballet with the community...

9 Comments
  • Boss_Ritesh
    Fantastic poem
    LikeReply5 hours ago
  • Probably
    Слишком однообразно и много лишних содер�
    аний которые вообще не ну�
    ны этому произведению
    Тут я не нашел души
    Извините за честность 
    LikeReply1 day ago
  • BellaTheMilkCarton
    I like reading this.
    LikeReply2 days ago
  • Htrout24
    Nicely written
    LikeReply5 days ago
  • ronan.collins.89
    I think it was to advanced for me. I'm new to the scene
    LikeReply8 days ago
    • BellaTheMilkCarton
      if you want to read something less advance I recommend you read my poems, they are less complex.
      LikeReply2 days ago
  • StRhaiven
    The poem is evocative and beautifully descriptive, with a clear appreciation for the grace and complexity of Swan Lake. The language is rich and layered, often capturing the ballet’s elegance and emotional tension. I particularly enjoy how it blends imagery of dance and music, such as “pirouetting up and down” and “the lyre and violin start roaring.” It creates a synesthetic effect, where the reader can feel the dance and hear the music simultaneously.

    However, some lines feel slightly dense or abstract, which might make the poem harder to connect with emotionally at times. For example, phrases like “like float comes the beau, beckoning the belle in amorous hue” are poetic but could be more direct to emphasize the passion or narrative behind them.

    Overall, it's a lovely piece that successfully conveys the magical, bittersweet essence of Swan Lake, though some areas might benefit from tighter focus or more concrete imagery.
     
    LikeReply11 days ago
  • TJ-Bradley
    Nice
    LikeReply14 days ago
  • susan.brumel
    Nicely done, William.
    LikeReply15 days ago
  • Xuan-An
    nicely written - I love swan lake
    LikeReply16 days ago

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"Swan Lake Ballet" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 9 Dec. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/205212/swan-lake-ballet>.

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