Nationality
July 5, 2023Week-Night Service
July 5, 2023Came the Great Popinjay
CAME the great Popinjay
Smelling his nosegay:
In cages like grots
The birds sang gavottes.
‘Herodiade’s flea
Was named sweet Amanda,
She danced like a lady
From here to Uganda.
Oh, what a dance was there!
Long-haired, the candle
Salome-like tossed her hair
To a dance tune by Handel.’ . . .
Dance they still? Then came
Courtier Death,
Blew out the candle flame
With civet breath.
Dame Edith Sitwell
Dame Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) was an English poet and critic known for her avant-garde style and her involvement in the literary and artistic circles of the early 20th century. She wrote several collections of poetry, including "Green Song and Other Poems" and "The Mother and Other Poems," and was a prominent member of the Imagist movement. Sitwell was also a patron of the arts and a supporter of modernist composers such as William Walton.