Mark Scrivener Poetry Blog No 98 Wood and Cave

Poetry Blog No 98 Wood and Cave

 

 

 

  illustration by Harry Clarke

Faust speaks of his romantic relationship to nature and the Earth Spirit. In this he articulates an inner relationship to nature that, while well-known to us now, was in many respects an "invention" of the romantic revolution in literature. However, Mephistopheles (in a somewhat sarcastic manner) attempts to stick a pin into the elevated feelings and leads Faust back to his relationship with Margaret.

 

WOOD AND CAVE

FAUST (ALONE)

Exalted Spirit, You gave me, gave me all,

All that I asked. For it was not in vain

You turned your countenance towards me in fire.

You gave me nature’s splendour for my kingdom

And power to enjoy and feel her. Not

Just giving that cold wonder of one visit,

But vision down into her depths of heart,

Shown like the heart of some true friend. Before me

You lead the endless lines of living beings

And teach me to appreciate and know

My brothers in still bushes, air and water.

And when the storm roars, rattling through the forest,

And a giant fir, in crashing, strips and crushes

The trunks and branches of its neighbours, its fall

Resounding dull and hollow from the hill,

Then you lead me to some safe cave and draw

Me to myself and in my inner life

Reveal profound and hidden wonders. And when

Before my sight the pure moon arises,

Soft-soothing me, the silver shapes of past

Generations float up from rock walls, moist bushes,

And soften the stern joys of contemplation.

Oh, now I feel how nothing perfect’s given

To humankind. You gave me this delight,

That brings me near and nearer to the Gods,

And yet you gave me a companion whom

I can no longer do without, though his

Cold impudence shrinks me in my own eyes,

Untiringly he fans wild fire in

My heart for her fair image. So I stagger

From desire to enjoyment, and in the midst

Of that enjoyment, languish for desire.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Have you not led this life for long enough?

How can it please you still? Although

It may be good some time to taste life rough;

You must then reap where new things grow.

FAUST

I wish that you had more to do

Than plague me on this God-good day.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Now! Now! I’d happily leave you;

That isn’t, in earnest- what you meant to say.

In truth, your friendship: graceless, gruff and crazied,

Would be but little loss to me.

All day my hands are full! What you will praise,

What you will not, can never quite be gauged

From changes in your Lordship's physiognomy.

FAUST
That’s just about his right, true tone.

He wants my deepest thanks for boring me.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Poor earth son, what was life alone

Without my useful company?

For whole long times I’ve cured you of that

Vague claptrap called Imagination;

Already you’d have strolled, if not

For me, right off this globe’s creation.

Why do you perch like some hoot owl in gloom

In rock ravine and cavern tomb?

What nourishment do you slurp up from dripping stone

And soggy moss, in this frog home?

A fair and pleasant pastime that!

The doctor’s in your system yet.

FAUST

Do you intuit what new life-giving power

I find from wandering in wilderness ?

Oh yes, could you but guess it now,

You’re fiend enough to envy me my bliss.

MEPHISTOPHELES

A super-earthly joy, that’s true!

To lie on mountains in the night and dew,

And earth and heaven joyously embrace

And swell yourself to seeming godlike grace,

And gropingly divine earth’s core, with zest

Feel all creation’s six days in your breast,

Soon into all, with love’s bliss overflowing now,

Quite gone’s the son of earth’s creation,

And then the lofty intuition-

WITH A GESTURE

Concludes- I may not say just how.

FAUST

Shame on you!

MEPHISTOPHELES

You won’t hear of that, it’s plain.

Of course, you have the right to cry- for shame.

One cannot name with pure ears about

What chaste and pure hearts can’t do without.

Just to the point- I’m granting you the pleasure

Of having self-delusions in some measure;

But you won’t work this longer here.

Indeed once more you’re losing track,

If you wait on you’ll be ground back

By madness, horror or by fear.

Enough! Your sweet love sits at home distraught,

To her all’s cramped and troubled too.

She can’t keep you out of her thought,

She’s filled with overpowering love for you.

Your wild love flooded through her at the start,

Like some small stream that’s swelled with melting snow.

You poured it out into her heart,

And now again your stream is low.

Instead of lording over the wood,

It seems to me it would be good

If our great sir were to reward

That puppy when he’s so adored.

For her, time’s pitifully long.

She stands by the window, sees the clouds on high,

Over the town wall, drift by.

If I were but a bird!- so goes her song

Day long and half the dark night long.

Sometimes cheerful, mostly sad is she,

Sometimes weeps most bitterly,

And then again seems calm enough,

And always in love.

FAUST

Serpent! Snake!

MEPHISTOPHELES (TO HIMSELF)

Good! You take my bait!

FAUST

Swine! Out of here with your pretences!

Don’t talk of that most lovely girl!

Don’t spark desire for her body’s pearl

Once more before my reeling, half-crazed senses!

MEPHISTOPHELES

What do you want? She thinks you have flown through,

And that’s already half what’s true.

FAUST

I’m near to her though I were far. I can

Forget her never or lose her now.

I envy even the holy body when

Her lips touch on the sacred wafer’s power.

MEPHISTOPHELES

Well put, my friend. I’ve often envied you

The twins that browse beneath the roses’ dew.

FAUST

Be gone, you pimp!

MEPHISTOPHELES

That’s fine! You scold, I laugh. You see

The god that fashioned lads and maids

Could see at once the noblest of all trades:

Creating opportunity.

Away from here, this woeful gloom,

You’re going to your loved one’s room,

In no sense to your death.

FAUST

What’s that divine delight within her charms?

When I am warm within her arms

Shall I not sense her mute distress?

Am I not fugitive? The homeless one?

Inhuman- lacking purpose, aim and peace?

A roaring waterfall that rock to rock wild-lashing runs

Desire’s rage right down to the abyss?

And to one side is she, child-innocent,

In her small hut on little alpine field,

All homely deeds enfolding sense

Within her little world, peace-sealed.

And I, despised by gods,

Find it not enough

To seize upon the rocks

And pound them into dust!

I have to undermine her peace! Hell’s price

Is paid, so you can have your sacrifice!

Fiend, help me, shorten this fierce-fearing time!

What must come, let it come right now!

Let her fate fall together thus with mine,

And she with me plunge to the final hour!

MEPHISTOPHELES

And how you seethe again, you glow!

Be off and comfort her, you dunce!

For when a pinhead sees no way to go

He thinks the end has come at once.

Long life to all with bravery!

Indeed, you show some somewhat devilish airs.

The world’s own greatest absurdity

Must be a devil who despairs.