Astrophobos Poem by Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Astrophobos

Rating: 4.8


In the Midnight heaven's burning
Through the ethereal deeps afar
Once I watch'd with restless yearning
An alluring aureate star;
Ev'ry eve aloft returning
Gleaming nigh the Arctic Car.

Mystic waves of beauty blended
With the gorgeous golden rays
Phantasies of bliss descended
In a myrrh'd Elysian haze.
In the lyre-born chords extended
Harmonies of Lydian lays.

And (thought I) lies scenes of pleasure,
Where the free and blessed dwell,
And each moment bears a treasure,
Freighted with the lotos-spell,
And there floats a liquid measure
From the lute of Israfel.

There (I told myself) were shining
Worlds of happiness unknown,
Peace and Innocence entwining
By the Crowned Virtue's throne;
Men of light, their thoughts refining
Purer, fairer, than my own.

Thus I mus'd when o'er the vision
Crept a red delirious change;
Hope dissolving to derision,
Beauty to distortion strange;
Hymnic chords in weird collision,
Spectral sights in endless range….
Crimson burn'd the star of madness
As behind the beams I peer'd;
All was woe that seem'd but gladness
Ere my gaze with Truth was sear'd;
Cacodaemons, mir'd with madness,
Through the fever'd flick'ring leer'd….
Now I know the fiendish fable
The the golden glitter bore;
Now I shun the spangled sable
That I watch'd and lov'd before;
But the horror, set and stable,
Haunts my soul forevermore!

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Paul Amrod 20 August 2016

This is very wonderfully rhymed poem with incredible images. He was of course the hit by the hippy culture. We all sat around reciting his marvelous adventures and his name was for us a household name. H.P. Lovecraft will be by us well remembered, Paul Amrod

2 0 Reply

Wonderful poem..too bad this poet didn't receive more recognition in his lifetime.i suppose if an artist pioneers a new genre most people don't catch on to it until it's too late.H.P. Lovecraft was very young when he passed away..maybe he's watching from the other side and knows of his current success...

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Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft

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