Ambition, Love, and Mortal Fate

  

Before me, as I slept one summer night

    Came, graced in gems of midnight’s pale beams

    Three maidens, wrought of finest faery dreams

For never had I witnessed such a sight

Of passioned beauty. Still of grace, in spite

    There loomed above their forms like ghastly steams,

    The product of all pessimism’s schemes:

The shade of melancholy’s ghastly sprite

    Upborn upon the sky! In wistful shroud,

        It stalked each footstep on the placid frown

            Of earth’s terrain, beneath their wistful gait

    Until at last, it drained (like drains a cloud

        The last of evening’s rays, which frightened, flown)

            These maids: Ambition, Love, and mortal Fate.

Author's Note

All images belong to their respective owners.

Reviews

[Joyce S. Greene]

A great poem, Gleb. Your use of personication and striking imagery helps to create your portrait of the possible downfall of three of life's most important drives: Ambition, Love and mortal Fate. Each of those can bring a person high or dash him very low depending upon his character. I enjoyed your write very much. Well done.

[Gleb Zavlanov]

Thank you for the very deep and kind review. :)

[Rita L. Sev]

Wonderful imagery and beautiful flow to this piece, Gleb. What maidens they be, indeed...

[Gleb Zavlanov]

Thank you.

[The Hampstead Poet]

Wow. The mastery of words, the beautiful gossamer flow of words, twisted into something poetic and deep. An elegance almost forgotten in time.

[Gleb Zavlanov]

Thank you for your very kind words.

[paddy d daly]

this is so wb yeats and i say that as a compliment, i really like the ghostly imagery,
even mcbeth comes to mind, good work

[Gleb Zavlanov]

Thank you. Of course, I'm still very far from the Greats, but thank you for the review, anyway.

[MsJewel]

I love the images you have created - and your classic style of writing. Brilliant as always and a delight to read.

:) Julie

[Gleb Zavlanov]

Thank you for your kind words.

[Raymond Federle]

"There are lines so fine between all things dark and beautiful.." to quote a very good poet I know...ME, LOL Out of all the kind of poetry out there this kind of gothic, dark poetry floats my boat, Excellent job! :)

[Gleb Zavlanov]

Lol. Thanks

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Ambition, Love, and Mortal Fate ... three beautiful maidens, indeed, if not for the shadow of self, the pessimist within that destroys man's ambition, love, and fate. We are the creators of our destiny; and we are also destroyers of the same ... our own hapless muse.

Very good!

[Gleb Zavlanov]

Thank you for your kind words. Does this poem sound a bit forced, in terms of rhyme?

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I don't think it sounds forced in rhyme at all. I do think, however, writing in this form overall seems sort of forced since the language is not contemporary. That's why I really, really enjoyed your poem, "Children, War, and Hate." The voice was free, not chained as it often seems in this form. I guess I should say that it seems more contrived than forced, but it could be a personal thing with me.

[Baby Ricochet]

Those are some maids.......

[Gleb Zavlanov]

:). They sure are.

[Frieda P]

What an innovative concept...three maidens in disguise, hopefully they show up again, in real life preferably, your pen has a romantic flair, no matter what the subject matter Gleb.

[Gleb Zavlanov]

Thank you for your kind words.

[Frieda P]

Always my pleasure Gleb.

[JKHughes]

Very good, really reminds me of John Donne.
A classic approach that has worked well

[Gleb Zavlanov]

Thank you very much. I draw a lot of influence from older poetry, so I guess that explains it.