Friday, February 6, 2026

Gatsby monostichs

 

(1)  Wind & Wafting

 

Outside, the wind was loud, and there was a faint flow of thunder along the sound. …. The electric trains, men-carrying, were plunging home through the rain…

-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)

 

Wilson’s eyes  turned out to the ashheaps,

where small grey clouds  took on fantastic shape,

and scurried here and there

in the faint  dawn  wind.

-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)

 

 

(2) The Moon  Too  Illumines

 

The moon  soaked  with wet light

his tangled clothes upon the floor.

-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)

 

They were still under the white plum-tree

and their faces were touching

except for a pale thin ray of moonlight  between.

-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)

 

They came to a place  where there were no trees,

and the sidewalk  was  white   with moonlight.

-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)

 

And, one from his earlier work:

 

while   the   moon

at its perennial labor of covering the bad complexion of the world,

showered its illicit honey

over the  drowsy  street.

-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned (1922)

 

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1 comment:

  1. I just finished a friend's self-published novel. All due respect... but it's good to be reminded of true literary genius here.

    ReplyDelete