Prayer (by H.D.)
H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) in the 1910s
Prayer (from Hymen)
White, O white face–
from disenchanted days
wither alike dark rose
and fiery bays:
no gift within our hands,
nor strength to praise,
only defeat and silence;
though we lift hands, disenchanted,
of small strength, nor raise
branch of the laurel
or the light of torch,
but fold the garment
on the riven locks,
yet hear, all-merciful, and touch
the fore-head, dim, unlit of pride and thought,
Mistress–be near!
Give back the glamour to our will,
the thought; give back the tool,
the chisel; once we wrought
things not unworthy,
sandal and steel-clasp;
silver and steel, the coat
with white leaf-pattern
at the arm and throat:
silver and metal, hammered for the ridge
of shield and helmet-rim;
white silver with the darker hammered in,
belt, staff and magic spear-shaft
with the gilt spark at the point and hilt.
[originally appeared in H.D.'s Hymen, published in 1921 by The Egoist Press (London)]
I recommend these volumes from Amazon for more H.D.
Posted by Jesus Crisis at 8/20/2008 7:32 PM 
Categories: 1900s, Writing, Doolittle (Hilda), American
Tags: American Literature Imagiste 1921 H.D. Hymen Imagist American Poetry Hilda Doolittle
Categories: 1900s, Writing, Doolittle (Hilda), American
Tags: American Literature Imagiste 1921 H.D. Hymen Imagist American Poetry Hilda Doolittle
This is very pretty... I've not seen alot or her work yet just the one you posted and a few anthology pieces...
I like the medieval take on this though...
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I hope to post more of her work here. Still figuring out the copyright issues. I know everything published before 1923 (like her Hymen collection) is in the public domain and fair game. From 1923 on, though, the law becomes cloudier (especially to me... lol).
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