The Counsel of Gilgamesh by Sheila Kaye-Smith
"The Counsel of Gilgamesh" is a short poem by Sheila Kaye-Smith, prefaced by an epigraph from the Epic of Gilgamesh asking why Gilgamesh wanders, since the life he seeks cannot be found. The poem then addresses Gilgamesh directly across several stanzas, questioning why he continues to wander and search. It tells him that the sun which sets tonight will rise again tomorrow and will continue setting and rising through undying ages, just as it always has from dim eternities. It asks what Gilgamesh, as seeker, could find that has not long since been found, what he, as scholar, could know that has not long been known, and what he, as spoiler, could possess that dead men did not already own. The poem then turns to images of the desert camel and the wild ape of the wood, which tread upon the white bones of heroes who once stood in Gilgamesh's place. Those dead heroes, like Gilgamesh, once felt the sunshine and loved the day; like him they sought and suffered, and the poem tells him he shall become as they are. It further declares that other men will seek what Gilgamesh seeks, and that his own rotting bones will one day speak to the youth and ardour of those who come after him. Yet those future men will not heed his counsel; they too will wander round and waste their years seeking what has long since been found. The poem repeats its refrain, again asking why Gilgamesh wanders vainly, and what he as seeker could find that has not long been found, what he as scholar could know that dead men did not already know. It closes by noting that this same question was asked in Nineveh thousands of years ago.
By Sheila Kaye-Smith · Genre: Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, Allegory · 396 words
First lines
‘Gilgamesh, why dost thou wander around? / Life, which thou seekest, thou canst not find. ' / _Epic of Gilgamesh._
Why wander round, Gilgamesh? / The sun that set to-night / Shall climb the sky to-morrow, / And bake the world with light. / Throughout undying ages / The sun shall set and rise / As it hath set and risen / From dim eternities.
Genres
- Poetry — The work is composed entirely in verse with consistent rhyme scheme and metrical structure, making poetry its primary and defining genre.
- Philosophical Poetry — The poem centers on existential questions about mortality, the futility of human seeking, and the cyclical nature of time and existence, using verse as the medium for philosophical inquiry.
- Allegory — Gilgamesh serves as an allegorical figure representing all humanity in its futile quest for meaning and immortality, with his specific story standing for universal human experience.
- Metaphysical Poetry — The work engages with abstract concepts including death, eternity, human knowledge, and existence itself, characteristic of metaphysical verse that transcends the material.
Tags
poetry · philosophical poetry · mortality · death · futility · vanity · human condition · cyclical time · transience · generational cycles · ancient Mesopotamia · meditative
What this Textopian page supports
The Counsel of Gilgamesh is listed on Textopian as a poem by Sheila Kaye-Smith, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Sheila Kaye-Smith
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, Allegory, Metaphysical Poetry, Classical Literature
- Length: 396 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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