handy
Member
My 15 year old daughter had to read the classical Greek tragedy, "Antigone" by Sophocles for her English class and write a poem based on the story.
For those unfamiliar with the story, Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. After Oedipus' death, Antigone's brothers, Eteocles and Polynices vie over who will reign over Thebes and they kill each other. As a punishment, their uncle Creon decrees that Polynices must remain unburied and have his body eaten by animals and carrion. Antigone views this as not only unjust but an offense against the gods, and is determined to bury her brother's body. She is brought before Creon for doing so, gives the defense that it is better to obey divine laws than the laws of men, is imprisoned and winds up hanging herself.
Here is Viola's poem based upon the story:
For those unfamiliar with the story, Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. After Oedipus' death, Antigone's brothers, Eteocles and Polynices vie over who will reign over Thebes and they kill each other. As a punishment, their uncle Creon decrees that Polynices must remain unburied and have his body eaten by animals and carrion. Antigone views this as not only unjust but an offense against the gods, and is determined to bury her brother's body. She is brought before Creon for doing so, gives the defense that it is better to obey divine laws than the laws of men, is imprisoned and winds up hanging herself.
Here is Viola's poem based upon the story:
Antigone
Inhabitant of the soft cheek of a girl
Poor creature, standing up beside the hearth
Weeping for her brother's death
Which hurl Heaven and Earth out of their places
Trying to find a place, her thoughts to settle,
Searching deep to find her mettle
Her brother should get the deference he deserves,
Even though the evil eye carefully observes
There, the shadows scream and crawl,
Trying to foment her soul
Like a scavenger that marauds at night,
The place is dark, but her eyes are bright
She crosses that fine border
A lump of fear is coming down her chin,
She has to dig up a hole, to put the carrion in
And as the silhouette from the top of the hill sees,
She silently finishes the obsequies
Pray I will and sing I must,
And yet, I weep - Oedipus' child
Descends into the loveless dust.
Inhabitant of the soft cheek of a girl
Poor creature, standing up beside the hearth
Weeping for her brother's death
Which hurl Heaven and Earth out of their places
Trying to find a place, her thoughts to settle,
Searching deep to find her mettle
Her brother should get the deference he deserves,
Even though the evil eye carefully observes
There, the shadows scream and crawl,
Trying to foment her soul
Like a scavenger that marauds at night,
The place is dark, but her eyes are bright
She crosses that fine border
A lump of fear is coming down her chin,
She has to dig up a hole, to put the carrion in
And as the silhouette from the top of the hill sees,
She silently finishes the obsequies
Pray I will and sing I must,
And yet, I weep - Oedipus' child
Descends into the loveless dust.
Good job! Her poem was lovely!