#MIDDLEBURY
Talisman
Marianne Moore
Under a splintered mast,
torn from ship and cast
near her hull,
a stumbling shepherd found
embedded in the ground,
a sea-gull
of lapis lazuli,
a scarab of the sea,
with wings spread –
curling its coral feet,
parting its beak to greet
men long dead.
About this poem
“Talisman” was published in “Poems” (The Egoist Press, 1921).
About Marianne Moore
Marianne Moore was born on Nov. 15, 1887, near St. Louis. Her collections of poetry include “Observations” (The Dial Press, 1924) and “What Are Years?” (Macmillan, 1941). She died on Feb. 5, 1972.
The Academy of American Poets is a nonprofit, mission-driven organization, whose aim is to make poetry available to a wider audience. Email The Academy at poem-a-day@poets.org.
This poem is in the public domain. Originally published in Poem-a-Day, www.poets.org. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.
