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Aeschylus Poems

A collection of select Aeschylus famous poems that were written by Aeschylus or written about the poet by other famous poets. PoetrySoup is a comprehensive educational resource of the greatest poems and poets on history.

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...You are a friend then, as I make it out,
Of our man Shakespeare, who alone of us
Will put an ass's head in Fairyland
As he would add a shilling to more shillings,
All most harmonious, -- and out of his
Miraculous inviolable increase
Fills Ilion, Rome, or any town you like
Of olden time with timeless Englishmen;
And I must wonder what you think of him -- 
A...Read more of this...
by Robinson, Edwin Arlington



...a mere word) "what 
Thou writest, paintest, stays; that does not die: 
Sappho survives, because we sing her songs, 
And Aeschylus, because we read his plays!" 
Why, if they live still, let them come and take 
Thy slave in my despite, drink from thy cup, 
Speak in my place. Thou diest while I survive? 
Say rather that my fate is deadlier still, 
In this, that every day my sense of joy 
Grows more acute, my soul (intensified 
By power and insight) more enlarged, more keen; ...Read more of this...
by Browning, Robert
...ood 
 Hurried, ere the eve-star glowed, 
 For the fauns' lugubrious hoots 
 Followed, hollow, from crookèd roots; 
 Aeschylus, where Aetna smoked, 
 Gods of Sicily evoked 
 With the flute, till sulphur taint 
 Dulled and lulled the echoes faint; 
 Pliny, soon his style mislaid, 
 Dogged Miletus' merry maid, 
 As she showed eburnean limbs 
 All-multiplied by brooklet brims; 
 Plautus, see! like Plutus, hold 
 Bosomfuls of orchard-gold, 
 Learns he why that mystic...Read more of this...
by Hugo, Victor
...e, --
Bring Shakespeare back, a man and not a name, --
Let every player that shall mimic us
In audience see old godlike Aeschylus, --
Bring Homer, Dante, Plato, Socrates, --
Bring Virgil from the visionary seas
Of old romance, -- bring Milton, no more blind, --
Bring large Lucretius, with unmaniac mind, --
Bring all gold hearts and high resolved wills
To be with us about these happy hills, --
Bring old Renown
To walk familiar citizen of the town, --
Bring Tolerance, that can ...Read more of this...
by Lanier, Sidney
...THE night was passing, and the Grecian host
By no means sought to issue forth unseen.
But when indeed the day with her white steeds
Held all the earth, resplendent to behold,
First from the Greeks the loud-resounding din
Of song triumphant came; and shrill at once
Echo responded from the island rock.
Then upon all barbarians terror fell,
Thus disapp...Read more of this...
by Aeschylus,



...AGLEAM -- a gleam -- from Ida's height,
By the Fire-god sent, it came;
From watch to watch it leapt, that light,
As a rider rode the flame!
It shot through the startled sky,
And the torch of that blazing glory
Old Lemnos caught on high,
On its holy promontory,
And sent it on, the jocund sign,
To Athos, Mount of Jove divine.
Wildly the while, it ro...Read more of this...
by Aeschylus,
...he first to shield some new Thermopylae; 
 Thy deed had touched and tuned their true Tyrtaeus tongue, 
 And staged by Aeschylus, grouped thee grand gods among. 
 
 And thy lost name (now known no more) been gilt and graved 
 On cloud-kissed column, by the sweet south ocean laved. 
 From us no crown! no honors from the civic sheaf— 
 Purely this poet's tear-bejewelled, aye-green leaf! 
 
 H.L.W. 


 




...Read more of this...
by Hugo, Victor
...ross and inconclusive steel,
Immortals smite immortals mortalwise
And fill all heaven with folly.

Also thee,
Brave Aeschylus, thee I forgive, for that
Thine eye, by bare bright justice basilisked,
Turned not, nor ever learned to look where Love
Stands shining.

So, unto thee, Lucretius mine
(For oh, what heart hath loved thee like to this
That's now complaining?), freely I forgive
Thy logic poor, thine error rich, thine earth
Whose graves eat souls and all.

Yea,...Read more of this...
by Lanier, Sidney
...small Latin and less Greek, From thence to honour thee, I would not seek For names : but call forth thund'ring Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles to us, Pacuvius, Accius, him of Cordova dead, To life again, to hear thy buskin tread And shake a stage : or when thy socks were on, Leave thee alone for the comparison Of all that insolent Greece or haughty Rome Sent forth, or since did from their ashes come.  Triumph, my Britain, thou hast...Read more of this...
by Jonson, Ben
...thou hadst small Latin and less Greek,
From thence to honour thee I would not seek
For names; but call forth thundering Aeschylus,
Euripides, and Sophocles to us,
Pacuvius, Accius, him of Cordova dead,
To live again, to hear thy buskin tread,
And shake a stage; or, when thy socks were on,
Leave thee alone for the comparison
Of all that insolent Greece or haughty Rome
Sent forth, or since did from their ashes come.
Triumph, my Britain, thou hast one to show
To whom all sce...Read more of this...
by Jonson, Ben