Ernest Dowson: Non sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae
(Poetry Revision Notes)
1. Last night, ah, yesternight, betwixt her lips and mine A
2. There fell thy shadow, Cynara! thy breath was shed B
3. Upon my soul between the kisses and the wine; A
4. And I was desolate and sick of an old passion, C
5. Yea, I was desolate and bowed my head: B
6. I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion. C
7. All night upon mine heart I felt her warm heart beat,
8. Night-long within mine arms in love and sleep she lay;
9. Surely the kisses of her bought red mouth were sweet;
10.But I was desolate and sick of an old passion,
11.When I awoke and found the dawn was gray:
12.I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
13.I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind,
14.Flung roses, roses riotously with the throng,
15.Dancing, to put thy pale, lost lilies out of mind;
16.But I was desolate and sick of an old passion,
17.Yea, all the time, because the dance was long:
18.I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
19.I cried for madder music and for stronger wine,
20.But when the feast is finished and the lamps expire,
, 21.Then falls thy shadow, Cynara! the night is thine;
22.And I am desolate and sick of an old passion,
23.Yea, hungry for the lips of my desire:
24.I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
Significant caesural pauses and other notable punctuation marks
Non sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae = I am not as I was in the reign
of good Cynara (sense of deference)
Analysis
● Narrative line of the poem: the speaker addresses Cynara (a name which is
shared with a thistle-like plant). He claims to be loyal to her, despite his affairs
with other women.
● Core themes:
○ Obsession
■ Even when pursuing other women, the speaker is consumed by
thoughts of Cynara. Use your own interpretation to argue the
extent to which his affection is true.
○ Guilt
○ Sexual desire
○ Genuine love vs artificial love
● Form
○ Regularity (emphasised by the regular stanzas and repetition)
■ The refrain emphasises the balance and regular rhythm of the
poem, hitting the reader repeatedly.
■ Emphasises the cycle which occurs in every stanza
● Hedonism → Remembering Cynara → Sadness → Claim
of faithfulness
(Poetry Revision Notes)
1. Last night, ah, yesternight, betwixt her lips and mine A
2. There fell thy shadow, Cynara! thy breath was shed B
3. Upon my soul between the kisses and the wine; A
4. And I was desolate and sick of an old passion, C
5. Yea, I was desolate and bowed my head: B
6. I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion. C
7. All night upon mine heart I felt her warm heart beat,
8. Night-long within mine arms in love and sleep she lay;
9. Surely the kisses of her bought red mouth were sweet;
10.But I was desolate and sick of an old passion,
11.When I awoke and found the dawn was gray:
12.I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
13.I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind,
14.Flung roses, roses riotously with the throng,
15.Dancing, to put thy pale, lost lilies out of mind;
16.But I was desolate and sick of an old passion,
17.Yea, all the time, because the dance was long:
18.I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
19.I cried for madder music and for stronger wine,
20.But when the feast is finished and the lamps expire,
, 21.Then falls thy shadow, Cynara! the night is thine;
22.And I am desolate and sick of an old passion,
23.Yea, hungry for the lips of my desire:
24.I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
Significant caesural pauses and other notable punctuation marks
Non sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae = I am not as I was in the reign
of good Cynara (sense of deference)
Analysis
● Narrative line of the poem: the speaker addresses Cynara (a name which is
shared with a thistle-like plant). He claims to be loyal to her, despite his affairs
with other women.
● Core themes:
○ Obsession
■ Even when pursuing other women, the speaker is consumed by
thoughts of Cynara. Use your own interpretation to argue the
extent to which his affection is true.
○ Guilt
○ Sexual desire
○ Genuine love vs artificial love
● Form
○ Regularity (emphasised by the regular stanzas and repetition)
■ The refrain emphasises the balance and regular rhythm of the
poem, hitting the reader repeatedly.
■ Emphasises the cycle which occurs in every stanza
● Hedonism → Remembering Cynara → Sadness → Claim
of faithfulness
