The Photograph
Constantine P. Cavafy 1863 (Alexandria) – 1933 (Alexandria)
In this obscene photograph sold in the street
secretly (have to watch out for the police),
in this whorish photograph,
how could there be such a dream-like face?
How did you get in here?
Who knows what a degrading, vulgar life you lead;
how horrible the surroundings must have been
when you posed to have this picture taken;
what a cheap soul you must have.
But in spite of all this, and even more, you remain for me
the dream-like face, the figure
shaped for and dedicated to the Hellenic kind of pleasure-
that's how you remain for me
and how my poetry speaks about you.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 32 sec read
- 38 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XXXXX XXXXABBAX |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 567 |
Words | 108 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 9 |
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"The Photograph" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/7250/the-photograph>.
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