The Influence Of Lust

Leon Gellert 1892 (Australia) – 1977



With padded feet from out his own dark den
Comes smiling Lust, once fair and hard to
please,
But now long overworked with dabbling men,
Who cry, 'We've tasted this and tired of these.'
Pausing in doubt, suspecting some defence,
He stares with eyes blue-lidded, at the Shape,
Then stooping, whispers low of innocence,
Of waiting chastity and sweetest rape.
With hairless hands awave, lisps reeking tales
'Mid smothered sighs, acquivering the while
he sees a horrored frown and fears he fails,
But smiling much whene'er he sees a smile.
Then pressing, 'Flesh is this, they needed food,'
And, 'Flesh is warmest in its stolen blood.'

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
47

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCACDEFEGHGHIJ
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 623
Words 111
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 15

Leon Gellert

Leon Maxwell Gellert was an Australian poet. He was born in Walkerville, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. He was subjected to bullying by his father, a Methodist of Hungarian extraction, to which he reacted by learning self-defence at the YMCA. After an education at Adelaide High School, he embarked on a teaching career; first as a student-teacher at Unley High School then at the University of Adelaide's Teacher Training College. He enlisted with the Australian Imperial Forces 10th Battalion within weeks of the outbreak of the Great War and sailed for Cairo on 22 October 1914. He landed at Ari Burnu Beach, Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, was wounded and repatriated as medically unfit in June 1916. He attempted to re-enlist but was soon found out. He returned to teaching at Norwood Public School. During periods of inactivity he had been indulging his appetite for writing poetry. Songs of a Campaign was his first published book of verse, and was favourably reviewed by The Bulletin. Angus & Robertson soon published a new edition, illustrated by Norman Lindsay. His second, The Isle of San, also illustrated by Lindsay, was not so well received however. more…

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    Quiz

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    »
    Lewis Carroll wrote: "You are old father William, the young man said..."
    A "and your hair has become very white"
    B "and your eyes have become less bright"
    C "and you're going to die tonight"
    D "and you seem to have lost your sight"