American novelist, essayist, and short story writer Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born in Saint Paul, the capital of Minnesota, on 24 September 1896.
“The Great Gatsby”, “Tender is the Night” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, are some of his best known works, from which various cinematographic transpositions have been obtained.
Few people know that he also wrote poems, such as the following, which was published in Nassau Literary Magazine in February 1917.
Rain Before Dawn
The dull, faint patter in the drooping hours
Drifts in upon my sleep and fills my hair
With damp; the burden of the heavy air
Is strewn upon me where my tired soul cowers,
Shrinking like some lone queen in empty towers
Dying. Blind with unrest I grow aware:
The pounding broad wings drifts down the stair
And sates me like the heavy scent of flowers.
I lie upon heart. My eyes like hands
Grip at the soggy pillow. Now the dawn
Tears from her wetted breast the spattered blouse
Of night; lead-eyed and moist she straggles o’er the lawn.
Between the curtains brooding stares and stands
Like some drenched swimmer – Death’s within the house
It is a sad poem in which a person feels that death is coming while he is asleep, like an angel taking his soul away.
Lo scrittore americano Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald nacque il 24 settembre 1896 a Saint Paul, la capitale del Minnesota.
“Il grande Gatsby”, “Tenera è la notte” e “Il curioso caso di Benjamin Button”, sono alcune delle sue opere più note, dalle quali sono state ottenute diverse trasposizioni cinematografiche.
Pochi sanno che scrisse anche poesie, come la seguente, apparsa sul Nassau Literary Magazine nel febbraio 1917.
La pioggia prima dell’alba
Il debole e sordo picchiettio nelle ore calanti
sprofonda nel mio sonno e mi riempie i capelli
di umido; il peso dell’aria greve
si sparge su di me dove la mia anima stanca si rannicchia,
indietreggiando morente come una regina solitaria
tra vuote torri. A occhi chiusi divento conscio del movimento:
un battito di vaste ali scivola giù per le scale
e mi sazia come il profumo intenso dei fiori.
Sono sdraiato sul cuore. I miei occhi come mani
afferrano il cuscino fradicio. Ora l’alba
strappa dal suo seno bagnato la camicia spruzzata
di notte; con gli occhi di piombo e umida vaga sul prato,
lanciando sguardi tenebrosi tra le tende e sta
come un nuotatore inzuppato – la Morte è in casa.
(trad: L.Z.)
È una poesia molto triste, in cui una persona sente la morte che sta arrivando mentre dorme, come un angelo a portarlo via con sé.
Immagine: Giulio Monteverde (Cimitero di Staglieno- Genova)
I’ve read two of his books and I like his style of writing. I didn’t know he had written poetry too. Thank you Luisa! 💙 Buon sabato. ☀️
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I’m glad you discovered something you didn’t know yet, Filipa 🌹🌹🌹
Thank you for your kind appreciation
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I keep learning with you Luisa.
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You are too kind!
Thanks from the bottom of my heart ❤️
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❤
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Thank you, Luisa, for your erudite information about the famous writer. I didn’t know about his poetry and just as I was trying to get the meaning of his poem, you arrived with your explanation! Thank you!
Joanna
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I am happy to know that you enjoyed this post, Joanna, and I thank you very much for your kind words
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Luisa ! As it is a bad poem , who will read it ? Either a very serious poetry savvy creature like us or a non serious person like a nonsense man as such . Anyway , Fitzgerald was a great American writer who sometimes wrote poetry , virtually a casual poet but serious one . As per general perception the present poem is a sad poem as a man feels that his death is coming while he is asleep and angle is taking his soul away . But as per our Indian view since soul is immortal so it never dies at all . In this way , the present poem of such a great writer could not be considered as sad one . To my mind , he was a serious poet , so his poetry us also serious and pleasuresome . Thanks !
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Thank you so much for your remarks. Not only your Indian vision considers the soul immortal, but also our Christian religion. As always, I really appreciate your comments 🙏🙏🙏
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Thanks !
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🙏🙏🙏
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Wow, Luisa — I didn’t know F. Scott Fitzgerald also wrote poetry! Thank you for this post! And that was a pretty good poem for a person so young at the time. The melancholy approach is almost Poe-like in some lines.
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Many thanks for your valuable comment, Dave!!
I am pleased that you enjoyed this post!
Wishing you a good weekend! 🙂 🙂
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Have a great weekend, too, Luisa! 🙂
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I ‘ditto’ Dave there. i didn’t know. And this is some introduction.
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Thanks a lot for your lovely words 🌷🌷🌷
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You are more than welcome. U knew he wrote short stories. I’ve read them so thank you xxx
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🙏💐🙏💐🙏💐🙏
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Il grande Gatsby mi è piaciuto tantissimo. Uno dei libri più belli che ho letto! Buon fine settimana Luisa 🧡
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Grazie, cara Sabri! Buon fine settimana a te 🌹
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You deserve a very big congratulations. It’s such a beautiful poem, though it’s sad. F. Scott Fitzgerald was a creative genius and you have done an exemplary work by sharing such a wonderful post. Missed you so much, dear Luisa. ♥️♥️♥️😊😊😊🥰🥰🥰😘😘😘💐💐💐💐
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I am very pleased that you thought so and that you enjoyed this! As ever, thank you very much for your continued support and encouragement!! 🙂 😘🤗
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♥️♥️♥️♥️🥰🥰🥰🥰. I will always support you.
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❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Abbiamo scomodato Monteverde. Brafa, bene, biz.
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[…] A Poem by Fitzgerald […]
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Thank you, I appreciate your kind reblog!
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Looks like he was an excellent poet, as well Luisa. That poem is very well written and indeed laden with sadness. Thanks for sharing. Happy Saturday. Allan
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I too recently found out hat he also wrote poetry, and I couldn’t help but share the discovery🌹
Happy Saturday to you, too
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Questi titoli mancano tra le mie letture ma ho visto la trasposizione cinematografica di “Il curioso caso di Benjamin Button” e l’ho trovato davvero un bel film, 👍. Ai miei generi preferiti sto pian piano allargando il panorama letterario con quei generi che leggo meno, come le biografie e i classici. Ed è proprio questo il bello della lettura: ci sono così tanti generi che si può spaziare all’infinito, in base anche all’umore o al momento, 😉.
La poesia, seppur molto triste, è allo stesso tempo bella e delicata, 🙂.
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Hai ragione: ci sono così tanti generi letterari che, se ci piace leggere, non resteremo mai a corto di libri!
Grazie per aver lasciato un messaggio, Ele cara
Buon pomeriggio😘😘😘
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Se penso che ci sono persone che vedono i libri come qualcosa di contagioso e da cui stare lontani mi viene la tristezza per loro, 😔. Un hobby bellissimo che arricchisce culturalmente e ti porta sempre in luoghi diversi anche solo attraverso le pagine di un libro, 🤩. Eh, vabbè, dopotutto non siamo tutti uguali e ognuno ha i suoi hobby, 🙂. Buon pomeriggio anche a te cara Luisa, 🤗💓🤗.
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Un abbraccio forte 🤗🤗🤗
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Un abbraccio forte anche a te, 🤗🤗🤗🤗.
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One of my hometown heroes.
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Is he? What is your hometown?
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Mendota Minnesota, Village right across the river from St. Paul, Minnesota.
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Wow! Thanks a lot for your kind reply 🙏
Have a beautiful weekend
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Ognuno scrive del sonno che porta all’aldilà secondo ciò che vaga nella sua mente e del relativo pensiero si bea.
QUANDO DORMO
(Silenziosità)
Contento sono solo quando dormo,
gli occhi chiudo e mi scordo tutto,
né più di ciò che accade mi informo,
né più mi interessa il bello e il brutto.
La Notte ben mi avvolge e mi tuffo
nel nulla assoluto, che felice
mi rende assai . . . Ah, penso che buffo
essere devo quando ciò che dice
un tizio saper voglio, e ciò che fa,
e perché mai lo fa . . . o inquieto,
come minimo almeno. Ora ci sta
silenziosità invece, e lieto
divento all’improvviso. Chi lo sa
se questo è il Paradiso in concreto?
. . . Se è anticipo dell’aldilà?
Comunque ci sarà pure un motivo
perché mi senta sol nel sonno vivo!
A “vita patriarcale” mentre scrivo
io penso . . . a tornare primitivo.
(Cassandro)
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Grazie infinite, Cassandro: sei una fonte inesauribile di bellezza🙏🙏🙏
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Grazie. Utilizza pure le mie composizioni quando vuoi e come puoi. Ciao
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Grazie ancora, buona serata🌹🌹🌹
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Sempre interessanti i tuoi articoli, cara Luisa🌹 e sempre ottime le tue traduzioni 👏👏🌹🌹❤
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Grazie infinite, Marcello (ma sono ben poca cosa in confronto alle tue magnifiche creazioni 🤗)
Ti auguro una bella serata
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Grazie della risposta Luisa 🌹. Ogni fatica è un dono prezioso per chi sa valutarla. Grazie 🙏🌹. Buona serata anche a te 🤗😘
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Great share! Such a talent!!
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So glad you appreciated it, Michele.
Thank you very much
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Thanks for the post.
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So glad you enjoyed it 🌺
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Buona serata Luisa ❤
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Grazie, Simona!
Buona serata anche a te🌹
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“The Great Gatsby”, “Tender is the Night” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, three great novels that I loved to read !
Buona serata, Luisa.
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Merci à toi pour ton gentil commentaire.
Bon dimanche!💐😘
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Lovely poem and interpretation. I didn’t know Fitzgerald wrote poetry.
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I just discovered it myself, and it was a pleasant surprise😘😘😘
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Ho un debole per gli angeli e mi piace molto la foto che hai scelto.
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Grazie di cuore: è un angelo che suscita forti emozioni.
Buona domenica 💙🌺💙
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❤
Buona domenica anche a te!
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❣️🌺❣️🌺❣️
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So inspiring story and poem to read , dear you nicely explained “ A poem by Fitzgerald “
Grace wishes and happy weekend 🌷🙏♥️🌷
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Thanks a lot for your kind appreciation, Thattamma
Have a wonderful Sunday 🌷💐🌷
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🌷🙏♥️🌷😊
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Wow, what heavy imagery he utilized in this verse. Thanks for sharing, Luisa! 🌞
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So glad you enjoyed his poem, Lisa
Thank you very much 💙🌺💙
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F. Scott suffered from terrible depression. He wrote that everything from brushing his teeth in the morning to the friend at dinner made him feel nothing more than exhausted, and one hates the day because it leads to night, and the night because it leads to dawn.
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Thank you very much, dear Ana, for adding this interesting information ❤️ (●’◡’●) ❤️
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My very great pleasure, my dear ~ quite the opposite of his public persona, eh?
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Indeed ❣️
Have a nice and peaceful Sunday
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[…] is another poem by Francis Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) , which was published in the Nassau Literary Magazine in […]
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Indeed this is a sad poem, but very wisely explained.
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Thanks a lot for your appreciation!
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🤗
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Si, triste ma bellissima e intensa… la frase “…mi riempie i capelli di umido…” a me crea il senso di abbandono della persona.
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Vero: è un’espressione molto malinconica in una poesia molto triste. Grazie per il commento
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Grande scrittore che ha segnato un’epoca. Ha scritto di tutto durante la sua movimentata esistenza.
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Grazie per il tuo commento 🙏
Buona serata
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bella serata
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Thank you Luisa, I found this via “poem” keyword in WP reader – did not know that Fitzgerald wrote poetry, so the title caught my eye. Great share! 🙏💗
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Heartfelt thanks, Lia. I’m glad you found my blog, came to visit me and left this kind comment 🙏💝🙏
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