Large and lofty bookshelves lined the lower wall by Unknown — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

Large and lofty bookshelves lined the lower wall Sitting, lonely, was a man in whom did lay Hopes of knowing that there'd come a better day— He was searching olden tomes to calm his soul. "Dear, may I..." the phrase was uttered, sounding forth— Echoes spread around him, breaking focused thought, Ending peace, the rest he had before then bought— Dreams of southern lands, thus bringing him back north. "Dear, yes? Dear, what?" Said, and answered he in turn Scorching thus his dearest's growing, begging eyes Asked he, "Have you come to claim your sorry prize?" Saw he nought, but tears, displayed by torchlight's burn. Woe and sorrow—senses started flooding back— Spake he quickly, once again, to calm her heart "Dear, do stay here; Stay—do not from me depart—" Late had come his answer, as was heard a crack. She had left; bereft was he again of hope Holding nothing but a loos'ning thread of lies None except himself received a sorry prize Only he was left with not a way to cope. Turning back to tomes unread, his gaze had dropped To a passage, quickly glancing what it said Skipping thusly where the murky ink had bled Where no hope was left, and where all mercy stopped. Turned he over one more page, and left behind Warnings—written aeons past—and went ahead Barely noting what his eyes therein had read Having parted with his soul, he lost his mind. Just for one minute a moment, I do plead Listen, heed the word I say of warnings skipped Do you know what it said, where the ink had dripped Or it, right this instant, shall I to you read? "Even kings can beauty often harshly trick "Even many wisemen love had once enslaved— "So do not fall prey to such a curse, engraved "Lest a demon fool you, by the burning wick."

Translation (English)

Tall bookshelves covered the lower wall A lonely man sat, hoping for a better future He was reading old books to find peace. "Dear, may I..." he said aloud The sound echoed, breaking his concentration Ending the peace he had found Dreams of distant lands brought him back to reality. "Dear, yes? Dear, what?" he replied Hurting his beloved's pleading eyes He asked, "Are you here to claim your sad reward?" He saw nothing but tears in the torchlight. Sadness and regret overwhelmed him He spoke quickly to comfort her "Dear, stay here; don't leave me" But his response came too late, as a sound was heard. She had left; he was hopeless again Holding only a weakening thread of lies No one but himself got a sad reward He was left without a way to cope. He returned to unread books, his eyes fell On a passage, quickly reading it Skipping over where the ink was smeared Where there was no hope, and all kindness ended. He turned another page, leaving behind Warnings from ages ago, and moved on Barely noticing what he read Having lost his soul, he lost his mind. For just a moment, I ask Listen to the warning I mention Do you know what it said, where the ink dripped Or should I read it to you now? "Even kings can be deceived by beauty "Even wise men have been enslaved by love "So don't fall victim to such a curse "Or a demon will trick you, by the candle's flame."

About the Poet

Unknown (Unknown)

The poet of this piece is not identified in the available resources. It appears to be a contemporary or modern English poem.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Narrative poem
When Written: Unknown
Background: The poem explores themes of despair, loss, and the search for solace through knowledge and introspection. It reflects on the human condition and the struggle to find meaning in the face of personal tragedy.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_poetry, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/74675-knowing-i-lov-d-my-books-he-furnish-d-me-from-mine

Detailed Explanation

This poem tells the story of a man who seeks solace in books, hoping to find peace and a better future. He is interrupted by a conversation with his beloved, which brings him back to reality and reveals the depth of his sorrow. The dialogue between them suggests a strained relationship, with the man questioning if she has come to claim a 'sorry prize,' indicating a sense of loss or failure. As she leaves, he is left alone with his thoughts and the books that offer no real comfort. The poem explores themes of despair, the search for meaning, and the dangers of being deceived by appearances or emotions. The final stanza serves as a warning against being misled by beauty or love, suggesting that even the wise and powerful can be ensnared by such illusions. The poem uses vivid imagery and a narrative structure to convey the emotional turmoil of the protagonist, highlighting the futility of seeking answers in the past and the inevitability of facing one's inner demons.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
lofty	tall, high	tall, high	lof-tee
tomes	books	big, heavy books	tohms
olden	ancient, old	old, from long ago	ohl-den
bereft	deprived, lacking	without something important	bih-reft
loos'ning	loosening	getting less tight	loos-ning
murky	dark, unclear	hard to see through	mur-kee
aeons	ages, long periods	very long times	ee-ons
spake	spoke	said	spayk
scorching	burning, intense	very hot	skor-ching
torchlight	light from a torch	light from a torch	torch-lite
depart	leave, go away	leave	dee-part
warnings	cautions, alerts	alerts about danger	worn-ings
enslaved	captured, controlled	controlled by someone	en-slayvd
engraved	carved, inscribed	cut into a surface	en-grayvd
demon	evil spirit	bad spirit	dee-mon