“Perhaps he makes a choice. He chooses the memory of her. That’s why he turns. He doesn’t make the lover’s choice, but the poet’s.”
― Céline Sciamma, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Out of the many adventures of Orpheus, musician and poet, his most memorable remains with the tragedy of his wife, Eurydice, who was bitten by a snake and killed. Orpheus, heartbroken, journeyed to the underworld and presented himself before Hades and Persephone. By playing his lyre, Hades sees Orpheus’ heavy heart and is moved. They strike a deal. Orpheus can leave with Eurydice on two conditions. She must walk behind him and he cannot look back. He must trust that she is there, following him.
There are many variations of the ending to the story, but one thing remains the same always. Orpheus looks back at Eurydice and she dies. While it is a tragic story of loss and heartbreak, we can find solace in the knowledge that in the end, they both looked into one another’s eyes and knew that they were loved. Not even Death herself could take that away.
The Eurydice Poetry Archive is an independent literary site dedicated to publishing unseen poetry and prose, supporting creators, dreamers and everything in-between. Calling all bedroom poets, hopeful artists and hopeless romantics, spill your guts/secrets out and don’t ever, ever look back.
Create art perhaps worth dying for???
Love, Jade & Rose
Co-creators/curators
Jade
“You can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.” – Charles Bukowski
Rose
“That Love is all there is, Is all we know of Love; It is enough, the freight should be proportioned to the groove” – Emily Dickinson