You see through me,
Dostoevsky, you leave no light
between truth and reality
and a woman’s heart (like a man’s)
lays bared before your demands
that life be lived not in the shadows
but where madness, danger, evil threaten:
and faced, leaves no doubt of allegiance
to the God whose truth is love.
Sanaa at dVerse's Poetics asks that we "dip our toes" into a panegyric: "Plainly speaking, the term “Panegyric,” refers to a poem of effusive praise. The genre being Greek in origin is closely related to both eulogy and ode. Click on Mr. Linky and join in!
This Jolly Beggar 
I remember being warned about crime and punishment and was never forced to read it in school, and then one day started to read it and I promise I just kept reading and reading. He is a marvelous author.
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Bjorn,
I had the same experience in school and college, and never picked up his books until afterwards, same first one, C&P, and kept reading and reading another and another. It’s hard not to bow down before his literary genius.
pax,
dora
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After C&P you should read “The strange” by Camus… I can see so many parallels (and differences) writing about such similar topics.
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Camus is someone I’ve read excerpts of for some reason, never a complete work. I’ll try that one. :>)
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The stranger is a very short book, but I loved it immensely…
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That’s good enough for me ;>)
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This is absolutely stellar writing, Dora! 🙂 I love Dostoevsky and his work and feel this to be an epic tribute to him. Thank you so much for writing to the prompt. 💝💝
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Thank you so much, Sanaa. It’s hard to think of an author I admire more.
pax,
dora
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another book added to my ever growing reading list. it grows faster than i can read.
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Daunting, I know. Have you heard of the famous “Inquisitor’s Tale”? That one’s in The Brothers Karamazov and you might like that as well. But one at a time . . . . :>)
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Thank you that’s another added. One at a time is good advise. I am presently reading a book called blood and sugar. It’s a fictional novel aboutthe investigation into the murder of a chap who was against slavery in 1791. Its is grim reading
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Heavy. Historical novels like that do a good job of revealing the circumstances of the times. That’s one thing I appreciate about them.
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Me to better finish the poem for tonight’s dverse
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I admit I have not read Dostoyevsky, but you have certainly piqued my interest!
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I’m not Russian but I would gladly become one and learn the language to read him in the original if I had the aptitude and the time! The latest translations by Pevear and Volokhonsky are the best but they’re all good.
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Dora, you just added to me a to-read author,I hope to find Dostoevsky epic poem as you guys have
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Beautiful poem, now I want to go read about Dostoevsky!
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FANtastic write, pun intended. Didn’nt expect the twist in the last 2 lines
Much💜love
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I will certainly look up for this work. I so love the ending lines of your poem:
but where madness, danger, evil threaten:
and faced, leaves no doubt of allegiance
to the God whose truth is love.
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Well done Dora!
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Wow, Dora. You knocked this one out of the park 🙂
BTW – This line made me pause because I never would have thought otherwise!
❤
David
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OK, now I want to read him, which I never have. Thanks for that.
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What a marvellous write, Dora! I too couldn’t read him in school but when I read him later, realised what I had missed.
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Your poem echos his epic writing …. well done, well done.
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