A lead-painted sky.
A lead-painted sun.
A lead-painted life.
Death came to the town
on a summer's day at noon
and now she lies by the river
ready to begin her journey
to the World of Gloom.
With a drachma on her lips,
she sets sail across the water
in an endless night of darkness
with no stars and without a moon.
Bodies with broken bones,
lipless jaws and eyeless skulls
float around on the water.
Visions rise before her eyes
of unhappy lifeless virgins,
of lovers once betrayed, and
of mothers and of children
who had passed away too soon.
At the marble gates
Cerberus weeps and wails
and the fearsome Lord waits
with offerings of fruit and water;
the child eats the fruit
she drinks the Lethe Water
and at last, she is laid to rest.
Part of the cycle of poems thirteen silk verses
A few words about the poem…
Journey to the Underworld: Exploring Myth and Mortality | The Cyprus Poems
In "The Underworld," part of the "Thirteen Silk Verses" within the "Cyprus Poems" collection, a landscape emerges that is saturated with echoes from Greek Mythology and the mysteries of death. Through sombre, deeply evocative verse, the poem revisits a timeless journey that merges themes of loss and finality within a mythical context. The scene is set under a "lead-painted sky" and a "lead-painted sun," a symbolic world devoid of life, colour, or warmth—a landscape where the journey of mortality unfurls into the vast and silent unknown.
This death and grief poem evokes the myth of Persephone, imbuing it with the timeless sense of a journey into the unknown. As the girl lies "by the river," ready to cross into the "World of Gloom," the classical symbols of transition from life to death appear: she holds a drachma on her lips, a coin for the ferryman. This age-old gesture is steeped in ancient tradition, creating a palpable link between the present scene and the mythological underpinnings of the afterlife. Charon’s ferry, the traditional passage to the world beyond, becomes the vehicle through which the child embarks on her journey, echoing Greek practices of placing coins with the deceased to pay for safe passage.
The vision within "The Underworld" extends to a chilling scene where the protagonist’s path crosses broken bodies, lipless jaws, and eyeless skulls. This image forms a spectral vision of the Underworld that highlights the poem’s ties to myth. The echoes of Persephone’s myth become more distinct as the child sees figures of "unhappy lifeless virgins," "lovers once betrayed," and "mothers and children who had passed away too soon." These forms blend the eternal with the ephemeral, drawing out tales of sorrow that have accompanied humanity throughout history.
At the journey’s end, the marble gates rise, guarded by Cerberus—the three-headed beast of legend. Cerberus’s sorrowful cries blur the line between menace and melancholy, enhancing the sombre majesty of the realm beyond life. Beyond these gates waits the Lord himself, an image evoking the powerful presence of Hades, whose offerings of fruit, pomegranate, and water recall the mythological hospitality that seals the visitor’s place in the afterlife. The fruit and the Lethe Water—the river’s waters that bring forgetfulness—symbolise the severance of earthly ties, memory, and consciousness, permitting final peace.
In a chilling yet resonant closing, "The Underworld" leaves an impression of the enigmatic world where myth and mortality collide. It is a love and loss poem, drawing out the timeless qualities of human transition through haunting, spectral imagery and ancient rites. Through symbols that resonate with Greek myth, this poem adds a contemplative chapter to the "Cyprus Poems" collection, touching on the mysteries and the profound silence that lies beyond life.
Analysis of the Themes in the Poem
The central theme of "The Underworld" revolves around the transition from life to death and the journey into an unknown afterlife. Through an exploration of mortality, the poem dwells on concepts of loss and finality, layered with a portrayal of ancient customs and the mythical connotations of an afterlife. Themes of Greek mythology further deepen the narrative, invoking timeless reflections on humanity’s relationship with death.
Analysis of the Verse
The poem’s verse employs stark, unembellished language, invoking a leaden, monochromatic imagery. The repetition of "lead-painted" in the opening lines gives a rhythm of heaviness, reinforcing the gravity of the subject matter. As the verse progresses, its language becomes increasingly visual and symbolic, reaching an apex of mystery at the gates guarded by Cerberus. This form of verse, marked by steady pacing, mirrors the sombre death march toward the unknown.
Analysis of the Symbolism
"The Underworld" uses symbolism to bridge myth and mortality. The leaden sky and sun symbolise a world stripped of vitality, while the drachma, river, and broken bodies serve as stark symbols of death’s progression. The marble gates and Cerberus represent the transition between realms, with the fruit and Lethe Water symbolising the severance of earthly memories. Together, these symbols root the poem in ancient rites, drawing an unbroken thread between myth and human experience.
Main Poetic Imagery
Poetic imagery is predominantly visual, marked by lead-painted skies, skulls, and shadowed landscapes. These images create a feeling of heaviness and inevitability, leading readers through a landscape where all is muted and life has faded. The imagery of the girl surrounded by spectral figures is especially potent, connecting personal loss with universal themes of memory, betrayal, and innocence.
Religious Symbolism Impact
The religious symbolism of "The Underworld" aligns with Greek beliefs regarding death and the afterlife. The drachma, ferry, and river journey reflect a belief in death as a passage requiring sacred rites. The presence of Cerberus and the offerings from Hades tie the poem to ancient rituals of acceptance into the afterlife, emphasising the theme of transition from life’s attachments to the peace of final rest. Through these symbols, the poem reveals a reverence for ancient beliefs that resonate through modern contemplation on mortality.
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