The Mind Creative March 2014
Oscar Wilde published six “Poems in Prose” in
July 1984. His distinctive style is evident in the
one below.
When Narcissus died the pool of his pleasure
changed from a cup of sweet waters into a cup of salt
tears, and the Oreads came weeping through the
woodland that they might sing to the pool and give
it comfort.
And when they saw that the pool had changed from
a cup of sweet waters into a cup of salt tears, they
loosened the green tresses of their hair and cried to
the pool and said, ' We do not wonder that you
should mourn in this manner for Narcissus, so
beautiful was he.'
' But was Narcissus beautiful?' said the pool.
' Who should know that better than you?' answered
the Oreads.' Us did he ever pass by, but you he sought
for, and would lie on your banks and look down at
you, and in the mirror of your waters he would mirror
his own beauty.'
And the pool answered, ' But I loved Narcissus
because, as he lay on my banks and looked down at
me, in the mirror of his eyes I saw ever my own beauty
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