by Wallace Stevens (1879 - 1955)
Now grapes are plush upon the vine
Language: English
Now grapes are plush upon the vine. A soldier walks before my door. The hives are heavy with the combs. Before, before, before my door. And seraphs cluster on the domes, And saints are brilliant in fresh cloaks. Before, before, before my door. The shadows lessen on the walls. The bareness of the house returns. An acid sunlight fills the halls. Before, before. Blood smears the oaks. A soldier stalks before my door.
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Text Authorship:
- by Wallace Stevens (1879 - 1955), "Contrary Theses I" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Lee Hoiby (1926 - 2011), "Before My Door", op. 39 no. 4, published 1983, from O Florida, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2005-12-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 73