Benjamin Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Through Greece and to Byzantium Above the Hippodrome: To Venice, Paris, then returned As conquerors rolled on. To finish where the alder wood Became as hard as stone: An ancient race for common good, That beauty now has won. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmarti1 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 The title alone was intriguing. I did have to look up quadriga. :) I had a vague "image" in my mind, but thanks to film and TV, and once I knew a quadriga was, a full description came to me: sonorous. Enjoyed this little piece, especially the first 2 lines of the 2nd stanza. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 My fondness for trees had me reading of the predominant use of alder piles in the construction of Venice (which turn as hard as stone when submerged in water). A train of thought that diverted me to St. Mark's Square and the fascinating history of the four horses. It parallels the fall of the Roman Empires and the rise of Venice from respective enigmatic beginnings: past Crusaders, Napoleon, and through to present day admirations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dedalus Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Much well said in a very short space. I was intrigued by the near rhymes and had to go back and look again: "... Hippodrone/ ... rolled on" ; "... hard as stone/ ... ... now has won ". Quote Drown your sorrows in drink, by all means, but the real sorrows can swim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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