An Idyll of Virtue

An Idyll of Virtue

When Virtue grows weary within and is old

And all signs of her youth disappear

You will note how the sky will seem paler and cold

And how autumn seems eerily near

When alas she departs and slips into night                      

You will note how the maples are bare

When her voice isn’t heard and when gone is her light

You will know then that winter is here

-jwm

Of the Poem

An Idyll of Virtue is a tragic cautionary poem about the decline of moral propriety within an individual, or a group of individuals, or even a nation.

Modeled on Theocritus’ (270 BC) ten pastoral poems, an idyll is a pastoral work that meditates upon themes revolving around nature, rural existence, the seasons, and other such agrarian topics. The word itself comes from the Greek word eidyllion (ειδύλλιο), meaning ‘little picture’ or ‘short poem’.

The title of the poem is a play on words, where idyll serves as an allusion to ‘idleness’- indicating therefore an idleness with regard to a virtuous disposition.

The pastoral elements that I draw upon are the environmental changes that are emerging as a result of seasonal changes from autumn to winter- where autumn is contrasted with old age (propriety in decline), and winter is contrasted with death (a state of being morally reprobate).

I was hoping in this particular work to represent Virtue’s old age as a sort of process of desolation, and to compound that representation with autumn- a season where blue skies are made deathly pale, and all of the green foliage begins to wither away as winter’s desolation swallows everything up.

When our conscience ceases to call, and when we are no longer guided by truths (‘when her voice isn’t heard and when gone is her light’) it is a grim sign of moral and spiritual privation (i.e. winter), so the poem warns.

It is said that we are governed by the principles we assume. I wrote this poem as a sort of reminder to be diligent with regard to the kind of person I want to be, to hold on to principles that are pleasing to the Lord, that are useful to my neighbor, and that are edifying to me.

Poetic Parameters

Stanza Type: Quatrain

Meter: The first line of each stanza contains eleven syllables; the second and fourth lines of each stanza contains nine syllables; and the third line of each contains twelve syllables. 

Rhyme Scheme: abab cbcb

Composition: February 5th, 2019