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MorpheusSandman
12-11-2008, 01:55 AM
('La Strada' is Italian for "The Road". The title was inspired by a Federico Fellini film by the same name).

Upon a well-worn battered road they’re born
Yet unaware of life inside or out,
All daily being with no higher doubt
Of meaning’s fire or icy death to mourn.
But kindled in all kindred breast’s a spark;
A yearning meant to mark the been and gone,
Existence tried in dusk to trigger dawn
And rise up from the dust into an ark.
In empathy I praise that creature then
And now, though far and wide they’ve come, so far
From unknown destination are they still.
So life does pass unconquered for all men;
That flame, elusive, burns up like a star;
That road, illusive, ends at winter’s chill.

Shadow Poet
12-11-2008, 08:51 AM
It was quite clever of you to have an Italian title considering the format. Indeed I thought this to be quite the sonnet; you remained focused and unyieldingly to limitation. Bravo!

MorpheusSandman
12-11-2008, 10:39 AM
Thanks. I actually wasn't trying to be clever at the title; I was actually thinking about a title, noticed "The Road" motif in the opening and closing lines, and my mind immediately jumped to Fellini's wonderful film.

cogs
12-11-2008, 07:10 PM
i think the title is perfect, as it is a metaphor for life's journey. i honestly had to retranslate this poem line by line, to attempt understanding. i think i've achieved that, and tell me if i'm wrong? it's about life's journey, from birth to death, as well as history's journey; attempting to find meaning and a destination toward home. but it has eluded us, because we're never quite satisfied, and end up with our own death before we can get the answers we're searching for.
btw, i love the coldness of a spent star as a metaphor for icy death. i also saw one you didn't add, that of the impossible distance to the star. post back:)

MorpheusSandman
12-11-2008, 11:38 PM
Yep, you've interpreted my intent dead on. I had a few other ideas I meant to work into the poem but ran out of space. One little note; while I did tie the last two lines together (burning star into cold death), it's also a reference back to the flame of "meaning's fire" that we can't grasp.