Jump to content
RIP - Comicality
    AC Benus
  • AC Benus
  • Author
  • 12/08/2023
  • 114 Words
  • 157 Views
  • 6 Comments
Poetry posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry - 107. James Joyce's "ache of love"

.

On the Beach at Fontana

 

Wind whines and whines the shingle,

The crazy pier-stakes groan;

A senile sea numbers each single

Slime-silvered stone.

 

From whining wind and colder

Grey sea I wrap him warm,

And touch his fine-boned boyish shoulder

And trembling arm.

 

Around us fear, descending,

Darkness of fear above;

And in my heart how sweet unending

Ache of love.

—James Joyce [i]

1914

 

 

 

 

[i] “On the Beach at Fontana” James Joyce. Although written before the War in 1914, it was first published in the November issue of Poetry: a Magazine of Verse (Chicago 1917), p. 70

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?volume=11&issue=2&page=12

as noted
  • Like 1
  • Love 2
Poetry posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
You are not currently following this story. Be sure to follow to keep up to date with new chapters.

Recommended Comments

Chapter Comments

Parker Owens

“A senile sea numbers each single Slime-silvered stone.”

What a magnificent poem. I was left breathless under the leaden sky, in the whining wind. 

  • Like 1
  • Love 2
Link to comment
AC Benus

“Every life is in many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, but always meeting ourselves.”

―James Joyce, Ulysses

  • Like 1
  • Love 2
Link to comment
AC Benus
On 12/8/2023 at 11:37 PM, ReaderPaul said:

Wow.  I could feel the wind and the cold and trembling arm.  Short and powerful.

Thanks, ReaderPaul. Joyce seems to have been equally gifted in the arts of prose and poesy -- as a poem like this proves

  • Love 2
Link to comment
AC Benus
On 12/9/2023 at 1:13 AM, chris191070 said:

Short and powerful, leaves you feeling breathless.

Thanks, Chris. The feeling you describe is probably what the poet intended readers to experience, or at least, readers who could relate to feelings of same-sex love  

  • Love 2
Link to comment
View Guidelines

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Newsletter

    Sign Up and get an occasional Newsletter.  Fill out your profile with favorite genres and say yes to genre news to get the monthly update for your favorite genres.

    Sign Up
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Our Privacy Policy can be found here: Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue..