Poetry Slam!: "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter" by Ezra Pound

Inspired by the work of 8th-century Chinese poet Li Bo, Ezra Pound’s poem is written in the voice of a young woman who writes her husband a letter recalling their initial meeting and marriage. Read the text here.
15 words 68 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. straight
    (of hair) having no waves or curls
    WHILE my hair was still cut straight across my forehead
  2. dislike
    a feeling of aversion or disapproval
    Two small people, without dislike or suspicion.
  3. suspicion
    doubt about someone's honesty
    Two small people, without dislike or suspicion.
  4. stilt
    a pole used for walking high above the ground
    You came by on bamboo stilts, playing horse;
  5. bashful
    self-consciously timid
    I never laughed, being bashful.
  6. scowl
    frown with displeasure
    At fifteen I stopped scowling,
    I desired my dust to be mingled with yours
  7. desire
    want strongly
    At fifteen I stopped scowling,
    I desired my dust to be mingled with yours
  8. mingle
    bring or combine together or with something else
    At fifteen I stopped scowling,
    I desired my dust to be mingled with yours
  9. depart
    go away or leave
    At sixteen you departed,
  10. swirl
    flow in a circular current
    You went into far Ku-to-Yen, by the river of swirling eddies,
  11. eddy
    a miniature whirlpool or whirlwind
    You went into far Ku-to-Yen, by the river of swirling eddies,
  12. sorrowful
    experiencing or marked by or expressing sadness
    The monkeys make sorrowful noise overhead.
  13. moss
    tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants
    By the gate now, the moss is grown, the different mosses,
    Too deep to clear them away!
  14. narrow
    a strait connecting two bodies of water
    If you are coming down through the narrows of the river,
  15. beforehand
    ahead of time; in anticipation
    Please let me know beforehand,
    And I will come out to meet you,
Created on Tue Apr 09 15:39:28 EDT 2013 (updated Fri Oct 20 15:33:38 EDT 2017)

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