Winter is icummen in,
Lhude sing Goddamm.
Raineth drop and staineth slop,
And how the wind doth ramm!
Sing: Goddamm.

Skiddeth bus and sloppeth us,
An ague hath my ham.
Freezeth river, turneth liver,
Damn you, sing: Goddamm.

Goddamm, Goddamm, ’tis why I am, Goddamm,
So ‘gainst the winter’s balm.

Sing goddamm, damm, sing Goddamm.
Sing goddamm, sing goddamm, DAMM.

A parody of the Anglo-Saxon poem, Cuckoo Song

Analysis, meaning and summary of Ezra Pound's poem Ancient Music

5 Comments

  1. Sheryl Skoglund says:

    The poet speeks of macrocosmic in Ancient Music yet he can not see the ancient music in the winters balm.

  2. Mary says:

    Hey Noreen..Ezra pound died in 1972 and unforunately he couldn’t “write on”.

  3. Noreen Wilder says:

    well, ezra,sinc i was just reading that you grew up in wyncote and attended the University of Pennsylvania this poem makes a whole lot more sense !! now it is evident to me you have waited for a bus on the streets of philly after a snowstorm when the snow has melted and turned into that particularly nasty form of brownish slush i have only seen there. write on ,mr. pound !!!

  4. judith says:

    hmm… I’m a bit confused. What is the correct title of this poem? It is also be listed with the title “Song” (click “alphabetically”)???

  5. John Larison says:

    I was wondering, is this poem copyrighted? I am a composer and i have written a setting of this poem. I was looking to obtain permision to use this poem, but i haven’t been able to find any copyright info.

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