On the first day of June she crossed the lines of innocence and was budding to the world.
She walked into the forest with timid steps and a smile of sin dancing on her newborn breasts.
Together we sang lullabies, and played love songs on my guitar once taught me by the master.
Aroused by our sinless flesh under a star-strewn sky, we shed our seven veils of modesty
innocence was lost in innocence and in the shade of the acacia tree we loved openly and without guilt.
I thought God was good I thought God was kind and I thanked him for his gift.
But my god was a jealous god and he killed her in the morning.
Now she is calling me to go and I, with an unfinished song and my broken guitar across my back I must sail the river Acheron.
Part of the cycle of poems thirteen silk verses
A few words about the poem…
The River Acheron | A Journey Through Death and Innocence | Cyprus Poems
In "The River Acheron," the poet unfolds a moving reflection on love, innocence, and loss through the lens of Greek mythology and timeless emotions. This poem, one of the “Thirteen Silk Verses” from the Cyprus Poems collection, layers the reader’s experience with motifs that reach deeply into the themes of love and the inevitability of separation. Its resonance with the myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, along with its symbolic use of the River Acheron, draws a vivid image of an otherworldly journey where innocence and transgression intertwine.
The poem opens with the arrival of June, a time of blooming and natural beauty, when a young girl takes her first steps into womanhood, symbolised by the “smile of sin dancing on her new born breasts.” These early lines create a world infused with innocence, tenderly shaping the girl’s crossing from purity to newfound awareness. The couple’s tender exchange, expressed through “lullabies” and “songs,” evokes a scene of intimacy, where sin is not yet tainted with guilt but instead portrayed as an integral part of innocence itself.
As the poem unfolds, it establishes a sanctuary under the night sky, where “seven veils of modesty” fall. This stripping of innocence becomes a moment of transcendence, portraying the lovers' unity as both sacred and human. However, this moment is fleeting, and divine intervention strikes with irrevocable consequences. The “jealous god” disrupts their peace, a nod to the divine jealousy often seen in Greek mythology, where mortals are drawn into the gods' arbitrary acts and punished for innocent pleasures. Her death is sudden, marking a moment of shattering loss.
The speaker is left with a broken guitar, a potent symbol of severed connection, and an “unfinished song” as he faces the journey to the River Acheron. This final reference to the mythological river, a boundary between life and death, evokes Orpheus’ tragic descent into Hades in search of his lost love, Eurydice. Here, the broken guitar symbolises the silenced music of love, now turned into an elegy to lost innocence and life itself. Through these powerful images, the poem underscores the tragic convergence of love, death, and divine jealousy.
Analysis of the Themes in the Poem
At the heart of "The River Acheron" lie themes of innocence, love, loss, and divine retribution. The poem weaves together the delicacy of young love with the inevitability of mortality, as the lover must cross the threshold of Acheron to be with his beloved. Love, depicted as pure and uncorrupted, is contrasted with the jealousy of a god, who enacts punishment on those who defy divine boundaries. This tragic consequence mirrors humanity's fragile existence, where bliss can be shattered at any moment by forces beyond one’s control.
Analysis of the Verse
Written in free verse, the poem captures a lyrical and deeply reflective tone that enables the expression of complex emotions. The alternating line lengths and natural rhythm mimic the rise and fall of the speaker’s hopes and despair, drawing readers into the intimate and painful narrative. The sparseness of the language mirrors the grief and finality of the loss, while the haunting repetition of “innocence” echoes the lingering presence of what was lost.
Analysis of the Symbolism
Symbols of Greek mythology, such as the River Acheron and the god’s jealousy, underscore the poem’s exploration of mortality and punishment. The guitar serves as a symbol of expression and connection to the beloved, now rendered “broken,” symbolising an irrevocable loss. The acacia tree, known for its resilience, may also evoke the endurance of memory and the enduring presence of love. The “seven veils” resonate with the imagery of innocence and modesty gradually removed, illustrating both the shedding of physical innocence and the ultimate vulnerability of human life.
Main Poetic Imagery
The poem’s imagery is vivid and immersive, painting a tender yet doomed love. The forest and acacia tree represent a sanctuary, while the “star-strewn sky” evokes a celestial audience to their fleeting unity. The use of phrases like “smile of sin” and “new born breasts” conveys both purity and awakening desire, highlighting the complex relationship between innocence and experience. The image of a broken guitar strapped across the speaker’s back as he prepares to cross the Acheron is arresting, symbolising both a physical and emotional burden as he transitions from the living world to an unknown fate.
Religious Symbolism Impact
Religious and mythological symbolism plays a central role in the poem. The god’s “jealousy” parallels ancient Greek narratives, where divine envy or anger often leads to mortal suffering. Here, the death of the maiden is reminiscent of tales where gods punish those who seek joy outside their imposed boundaries. This connection between divine power and punishment highlights the vulnerability of human joy, casting the god as a powerful force that interrupts mortal happiness without explanation or mercy. The poem, in invoking the River Acheron, positions the speaker’s journey as not just a crossing into death but a spiritual pilgrimage towards acceptance and eternal memory
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