Dieu D'Amour [a Castle in Cyprus]

Name: Dieu D'Amour [a Castle in Cyprus]
Author: Edith Wharton

"Dieu D'Amour [a Castle in Cyprus]" by Edith Wharton is a poetic exploration of beauty and transcendence. The poem begins with the speaker describing beauty as possessing two great wings that elevate the soul to a lofty realm between earth and light. This ascent is characterized by a sense of awe and wonder, as the soul is transported to a celestial space where beauty's creations are woven. The imagery of wings, plumes, and aerial rooms suggests a divine or ethereal experience. As the poem progresses, the speaker describes a descent from these heights, returning to the familiar comfort of earth, akin to a child at rest. The transition from day to night is marked by beauty's gentle presence, leaving a trace of the divine journey as the speaker is returned to the earthly realm. The poem captures the cyclical nature of experiencing beauty, from the heights of inspiration to the grounding return to reality.

By Edith Wharton · First published 1902 · Genre: Lyrical Poetry, Romantic Poetry, Symbolist Poetry · 185 words

First lines

Beauty hath two great wings / That lift me to her height, / Though steep her secret dwelling clings / 'Twixt earth and light. / Thither my startled soul she brings / In a murmur and stir of plumes, / And blue air cloven, / And in aerial rooms / Windowed on starry springs / Shows me the singing looms / Whereon her worlds are woven;

Then, in her awful breast, / Those heights descending, / Bears me, a child at rest, / At the day's ending, / Till earth, familiar as a nest, / Again receives me, / And Beauty veiled in night, / Benignly bending, / Drops from the sinking west / One feather of our flight, / And on faint sandals leaves me.

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Dieu D'Amour [a Castle in Cyprus] is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edith Wharton, dated 1902 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: Edith Wharton
Date: 1902 CE
Language: English
Genres: Lyrical Poetry, Romantic Poetry, Symbolist Poetry, Allegorical Poetry, Aesthetic Literature
Length: 185 words
Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)

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Genres

Lyrical Poetry — The work employs refined poetic language and rhythm to evoke emotion and the sublime, hallmark features of lyrical poetry.
Romantic Poetry — Its themes of transitory beauty and the transcendent nature of love align strongly with Romantic ideals.
Symbolist Poetry — The use of vivid symbols such as wings and light to express abstract, metaphysical ideas reflects Symbolist techniques.
Allegorical Poetry — The poetic imagery serves as an allegory for broader existential and metaphysical concepts, transcending literal interpretation.