Grotesque (Amy Lowell) by Amy Lowell
The speaker tries to gather lilies into a garland for another person’s hair, but imagines the flowers resisting with grotesque animation. They goggle their tongues, writhe, twist, strangle themselves around the speaker’s fingers, shriek the intended recipient’s name, and spit as the speaker attempts to cluster them. The speaker wonders whether the lilies must be killed into stillness, so that a wreath of their lolling corpses may rot upon the dancer’s forehead.
By Amy Lowell · First published 1913 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Historical Fiction · 127 words
First lines
Why do the lilies goggle their tongues at me / When I pluck them; / And writhe, and twist, / And strangle themselves against my fingers, / So that I can hardly weave the garland / For your hair? / Why do they shriek your name / And spit at me / When I would cluster them? / Must I kill them / To make them lie still, / And send you a wreath of lolling corpses / To turn putrid and soft / On your forehead / While you dance?
What this Textopian page supports
Grotesque (Amy Lowell) is listed on Textopian as a poem by Amy Lowell, dated 1913 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Amy Lowell
- Date: 1913 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romantic Fiction
- Length: 127 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Grotesque (Amy Lowell) by Amy Lowell
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Similar titles
- The Bombardment Amy Lowell by D. H. Lawrence
- Frivolous Is My Hate by Dylan Thomas
- In Procession by Robert Graves
- Bullion Amy Lowell by D. H. Lawrence
- Epilogue by Charles Pierre Baudelaire
- Country Sentiment The Voice Of Beauty Drowned by Robert Graves
Genres
- Literary Fiction — D.H. Lawrence's works are primarily known for their literary merit, exploring themes such as emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct.
- Psychological Fiction — Lawrence's work often delves into the psyche of intricate characters, making 'Psychological Fiction' a likely genre.
- Historical Fiction — Given that Lawrence often examined contemporary issues, the context of his work can arguably be seen as 'Historical Fiction'.
- Romantic Fiction — Considering that Lawrence frequently explored themes of romantic and sexual relationships, 'Romantic Fiction' could be a suitable genre.
Tags
grotesque · modernism · poetry · imagery · emotion · nature · human experience · existentialism · symbolism · introspection · beauty · distortion