The moon was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door...
~~~
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door...
~~~
Above the quiet dock in midnight,
Tangled in the tall mast's corded height
Hangs the moon. What seemed so far away
Is but a child's balloon, forgotten after play.
~~~
Tangled in the tall mast's corded height
Hangs the moon. What seemed so far away
Is but a child's balloon, forgotten after play.
~~~
It's either full moon night or darn close to it. I find it incredibly difficult getting a good photograph on my little digicam but that doesn't stop me from trying. This one reminds me of an old poem I studied many years ago and later taught. The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. The ultimate drama of an ill-fated romance between a highwayman and his sweetheart, the black-eyed Bess. Reads something like one of those old cowboy and western movies too.
Full moons also invariably remind me of T.E. Hulme's masterly Above the Dock. That's the poem in its entirety up there. Short, sharp, direct and descriptive. No hemming and hawing around. Minimalism at its superb best.
I remember that poem because of the 'ostler', a word that was so new to me at that time. Interestingly, the image I had conjured up then closely resembles your pic.
ReplyDeleteps.Was it 'The Highway' or 'The Highwayman'? I remember reading it as the latter.
Oh my gosh, you're right. It is The Highwayman. I felt sth looked a little strange last night but couldn't place it. Good case of being moonstruck, hey? Thanks alot for pointing it out.
ReplyDeletenice picture...haunting
ReplyDeleteThe highwayman hi hmanah kan skul ah ECS (english congregation school) hovin an rawn chang tawh a, hmuhnawm reuh ltk.
ReplyDeletePic pawh la nalh thin ta khawp mai. tripod hmang rawh. chuan night mode a shot hian a camera kha i tiche lo anga, a fiah zel mai ang. :D ti ve khanglang ila. :D
'The Highwayman' still sends shivers down my spine...great picture too...can practically hear Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata playing in the background.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were kids we believed "you'll get married to the person you kissed under a full moon."
ReplyDeleteGood art photo. And the quoted verses are so very suitable. Btw, have you looked at Mala Mukerjee's pics? They're on the net, can just google it.
ReplyDeleteHehe yes even I have "studied" this poem way back in school. But I don't think the subtleness and beauty of the whole poem struck me that time like how I am touched right now. An apt poem for a spectacular picture.
ReplyDeleteThlalak chu va nalh reuh mai mai e
ReplyDeleteLook for me by moonlight;
ReplyDeleteWatch for me by moonlight;
I'll come to thee by moonlight,
Though hell should bar the way!
A lunglenthlak reuh. Peter Lianhleia (L) khan min zirtir thin.
Thla hian ka lung a ti leng ve vak meuhlo anih chu kei zawng, hman atang toh in.
ReplyDeleteKa cuz hi hmanni ah beach ah a kal a, a bialnu a han phone a. Beach ah kan kal a, thla a eng lutuk..blah blah.. a han ti vel a. A bialnu chuan i lung a leng em a tia, thawveng deuh hian leng lo a ti vut a. A bialnu in, mawl e mai a tia aban daih :P
Thanks, virgo.
ReplyDeleteJoseph, tripod chu ka la afford lo. Nakinah lottery ka man hunah cam lawk tha tawk ka lei hunah le :)
Daydream, thank you.
ambs, how many guys (including frogs) have you kissed under a full moon? :P
mesjay, thanks for the MM info. Some of her pictures are mindblowing.
Thanks, illu and amuana.
samupa, Pu Lh-a kha ngaihawm hmuar hmuar roh tiro?
naupang^fel, an va in ban ho ve aww. Mahse hmana kan thiannu pakhat poh a chhas nen party an kal a, a chhas chu a lam dan a thring e mai a tia a ban jeih an ti!
kei chu Glenn Frey "Lover's Moon" kha nalh ka ti!
ReplyDeletehuiss Missssssssss.... khua a har deuh a ni maw? kan hrethiam che :-)
ReplyDeleteIsn't "The highwayman" the poem where the protagonist is ruffled (mild term!)?
ReplyDeleteI have been a favorite of the Tess (rather than the Bess).. that too of the Dubervilles.. Hardy stuff.. but so be it.. i like it..
on a side note, what's taught in classrooms as UK lit. finds its equivance in gruesome sordid crimes on indian media (Aajtak?, CNN-IBN?, .. )
I used to like/love poems.. till i realized that narration doesn't change the fact.
i might be wrong... as always..
azassk, kpoh nalh ka ti!
ReplyDeletemalbawih, ka khua a har ve ngai looooo
tinks, if you mean where the protagonist had a bunch of lace at his throat, then yes. He was one of those romantic-looking types in beruffled lace and frills, and the image that comes to mind in Antonio Banderas in Desperado - yummy. Hardy and Tess have always been just a little too glum for me. And what fact does narration not change? That's a stumper.
ReplyDelete