The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry - 106. “Broken Images” – Three poems by Robert Graves

If you're like me, then you became acquainted with Robert Graves' work in high school. His re-telling of some of the Greek myths was standard reading for generations of students. Sadly for me and generations of students, Graves scrupulously avoided even a word of the many, many ancient myths revolving around same-sex love. He, or his publisher -- or both -- wound up giving a very(!) lopsided view that Greeks were all about boy-girl romance, only. They shut us out on purpose, refusing to let generations of LGBTI2S+ people have any access to our ancient culture.   

However, as a poet, Graves appears rather fearless in detailing the personal pain/pleasure, joy/repression he felt in his love of other men. In Chapter 3 of the Great Mirror, we've already seen one of the several WW1 poems from Graves that explores his passions, and here I provide a few more. 

There are many more Gay poems to be found in his work though, for he was a prolific poet, and as I mention, never very shy when publishing his "personal" poems

30 minutes ago, AC Benus said:

 

If you're like me, then you became acquainted with Robert Graves' work in high school.

 

Indeed, and like many shallow youngsters, I forgot all about him until much, much later. Only in my late life awakening did I hear Graves’ voice as you described it in his poetry. I’m immensely grateful to you for posting these three, as they are magnificent examples. 

Just now, Parker Owens said:

Indeed, and like many shallow youngsters, I forgot all about him until much, much later. Only in my late life awakening did I hear Graves’ voice as you described it in his poetry. I’m immensely grateful to you for posting these three, as they are magnificent examples. 

Thank you, Parker. There is much to explore in Graves' poetry, including a few "mysterious" erotic poems that can only be deciphered if understood as showing love between men  

The descriptions of the moon, statues, mermaids, all sharp and clear images.  The contrast in the first one of clear thought and questioning thought is very apt of so much of life.  Thank you for posting these.

19 minutes ago, ReaderPaul said:

The descriptions of the moon, statues, mermaids, all sharp and clear images.  The contrast in the first one of clear thought and questioning thought is very apt of so much of life.  Thank you for posting these.

Thanks, ReaderPaul. The phallic nature of the ice of their own production seems to jump off the page with the wording:

"Each breath came dagger-keen;

Two bergs of glinting ice were we"

And clearly, no young woman would be able to wander out to a field in the middle of the night to have sex with a guy in those days. Men had all the freedom of having blind eyes turned to them, and "girls," all the lock-and-key scrutiny of their movements