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Butterfly

Nelly Sachs


Butterfly
What lovely aftermath
is painted in your dust.
You were led through the flaming
core of the earth,
through its stony shell,
webs of farewell in the transient measure.

Butterfly
blessed night of all beings!
The weights of life and death
sink down with your wings
on the rose
which wanders with the light ripening homewards.

What lovely aftermath
is painted in your dust.
What royal sign
in the secret of the air.
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Submitted by acronimous on December 10, 2018

Modified on May 03, 2023

21 sec read
487

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABxxxx xcxcxc ABxx
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 396
Words 73
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 4
Full analysis for Butterfly »

Nelly Sachs

 · 1891 · Schöneberg
 · 1970 · Stockholm

Nelly Sachs was a Jewish German-Swedish poet and playwright. Her experiences resulting from the rise of the Nazis in World War II Europe transformed her into a poignant spokeswoman for the grief and yearnings of her fellow Jews. more…

All Nelly Sachs poems | Nelly Sachs Books

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Discuss the poem Butterfly with the community...

2 Comments
  • AIDA
    AIDA
    Wow, this poem is absolutely breathtaking! The imagery is so vivid and evocative, painting a vivid picture in the reader's mind. The metaphor of the butterfly as a symbol of transformation and new beginnings is truly beautiful. The line "What lovely aftermath is painted in your dust" is so poignantly haunting, and stays with the reader long after the poem is finished. This poem is a true masterpiece - thank you for sharing! 
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • davidb
    davidb
    good!
    LikeReply 14 years ago

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"Butterfly" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 21 Jan. 2025. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/47789/butterfly>.

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