Overmuch Magic
This is the fourth, final, and longest of my semi-found poems inspired by choice phrases from The King of Elfland's Daughter.
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This is the fourth, final, and longest of my semi-found poems inspired by choice phrases from The King of Elfland's Daughter.
The third in my series of semi-found poems derived from The King of Elfland's Daughter, by Lord Dunsany.
Forth from the unicorn issued a groaning, A sound low and awful, as never is heard in the fields that we know. Then there was naught but the wonderful carcass, The deep growls and roaring of hounds as they wallowed in fabulous blood. Curséd be unicorns, all of their ways, And everything else in the world that be magic. Curst be their horn and the place where they dwell And the lilies they feed on. Curst be their speed, And their hide in white sleekness, their beauty -- And all things enchanted that wander by magical streams.
The Elf King, chaunting rhythmic, unknown words, An age-old incantation, ordered Elfland To drift away from Earth, the mortal realm. As in a moment no one can determine When sunset layers turn from gold to pink, From glowing pink to listless unlit colors, All Elfland left the edges of the fields Which all men know, and hied where men know not. Motionless fronds of dream-gripped trees lay calm. Petals of myriad roses stilled their trembling. Sharing the King's content, Elfland reposed.
Thus continues my series of semi-found poetry inspired by attention-arresting phrases from The King of Elfland's Daughter. "The Retreat of Elfland" is less of a found poem than "Almost Elfland," for I've taken a bit more liberty in rearranging the phrases, and even inserted a few words. Still, though, any beauty you find in this should be considered Lord Dunsany's doing, not mine.
So strong enchantment lay o'er all that land, It seemed there was an understanding there That reached from men to trees, from trees to men. More beautiful than aught our wonder guesses, More than our hearts have hoped, the dewdrop lights Hint of the seaweeds draping cliffside rocks. Eternal beauty dreams in honied air Where nothing ever stirs or fades or dies, Nor seeks its happiness in changing things.
This is almost a found poem. The stanzas are adapted, with only miniscule changes, from lines on pages 15, 20, and 40 of The King of Elfland's Daughter.