Centaur Song by Hilda Doolittle
The poem explores the speaker's emotional state, describing a sense of disconnection and longing. The centaur serves as a symbol for the speaker's inner conflict, representing both human and animal aspects of their personality. The poem delves into themes of identity, duality, and the struggle to reconcile opposing forces within oneself.
By Hilda Doolittle · First published 1945 · Genre: Poetry, Romantic, Mythological · 337 words
First lines
Now that the day is done, now that the night creeps soft and dims the chestnut clusters' radiant spike of flower, O sweet, till dawn break through the branches of our orchard-garden, rest in this shelter of the osier-wood and thorn.
They fall, the apple-flowers; nor softer grace has Aphrodite in the heaven afar, nor at so fair a pace open the flower-petals as your face bends down, while, breath on breath, your mouth wanders from my mouth o'er my face.
What this Textopian page supports
Centaur Song is listed on Textopian as a poem by Hilda Doolittle, dated 1945 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Hilda Doolittle
- Date: 1945 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romantic, Mythological, Pastoral
- Length: 337 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Centaur Song by Hilda Doolittle
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing poetic devices such as imagery, metaphor, and rhythm.
- Romantic — Themes of love and beauty are central, with a focus on intimate and emotional connections.
- Mythological — References to figures like Aphrodite and Zeus suggest an engagement with classical mythology.
- Pastoral — The setting and imagery evoke a natural, idyllic landscape, typical of pastoral literature.
Tags
Modernist poetry · Symbolism · Mythology · Greek mythology · Feminine perspective · Nature imagery · Imagery rich · Poetic language · Free verse · Experimentation · Stream-of-consciousness · Inner life