"Caesar in poem"

[Coffeehouse]

Alright I'm going to publish here a poem I wrote in my last year of high school It's inspired by William Shakespeare's story about Julius Caesar but the poem is 100% original.

I've not paid much attention to formal structures (parameters, etc.), only followed a four-line pattern with as good rhyming as I could muster!

"Caesar in poem" (2004)
By Coffeehouse
---------------

Caesar’s rise,
Times of glory, great fortune.
Caesar’s fall,
Foolish pride, power ruin.

Romans cheered Caesar home,
He had fought abroad.
He returned a popular man.
To them he was a god!

Coronation was the word,
Caesar to be king?
Some were against this,
With joy they did not sing.

Few they were, with strong belief.
They did not want Caesar on top.
Caesar was an ambitious man,
Him they would have to stop.

“Beware the Ides of March”
Marked humble soothsayer.
Caesar he did dismiss it,
Was he a foolish player?

Nightfall came
A blackened street.
Shadowy movements,
A band of conspirators came to meet.

New day, new show.
Caesar strong, he has pride.
Wife tells of dream,
Caesar in doubt, should he abide?

Change in wind.
On scene Decius appears.
With aim to manipulate,
Caesar all ears.

In they come.
Does Caesar believe?
A speech of persuasion,
They mutter silently; in humbleness we deceive.

On steps of Rome
Last chance passed by.
A letter of warning,
He did deny.

The Senate Halls,
Here gather the conspirating few.
A swift attack,
Stabs in queue.

“E tu Brute?”
Caesar gone.
Marc Anthony in rage,
Thinking; “You have not won!”

Brutus to crowds;
“Ambitious one!
Power he sought!
Now he’s gone!”

“Were it not for
Our resolute act!
One dictator in power
Would be a fact!”

Marc Anthony in,
Orating well;
“Due to necessity
That Caesar fell?”

“Are the conspirators truly
Not innocent of the crime?
In taking the life
Of our great leader, our sunshine?”

“Surely Caesar had faults.
He could also make mistakes.
But are we right to kill him for such?
Is that all it takes?”

“Caesar we loved.
His person we held high
Its time for revenge!
The conspirators we will defy!”

Masses the turn;
“In Mark Anthony we believe.
Chase those killers!
Hail Caesar, we grieve.”

The conspirators flee
And gather forces to be strong;
“We shall return to Rome!
We won’t be gone for long!”

In the darkest night
Caesar did scare.
A shaken Brutus;
“Is this a nightmare?!”

Brutus and Cassius,
A verbal confrontation.
Ends they meet,
Reconciliation.

Conspirators meet Romans.
Conflict in sight.
Only accusing each other.
No end of the tunnel, no light!

Dawn of battle
Fierce fighting on the ground
Soldiers killing
Each other they have found

Blood and agony
Terrible cries
Where are the conspirators?
Already in the skies?

On mountain top
The conspirators have gathered!
Knowing well that
Their armies are shattered.

Thus they do the only thing
Which is left for the defeated.
Honour they do bear
It is death that they have greeted.

Supporters of Caesar,
Victors in glee!
Respect they pay to Brutus;
“Of the killers, a Roman be thee.”

Dead Brutus and conspirators,
Were their motives justifiable?
Killing Julius Caesar,
Was it a worthy gamble?

Did they do,
Right in their action?
Or was it murder,
For power-hungry satisfaction?

Right or wrong.
Caesar had great support
They failed to acknowledge that,
Of his legacy they fell short.

To gather the masses,
For one’s to story to sell,
One needs to master the word,
As Marc Anthony knew perfectly well.

Thus the conspirators failed.
No attention did they pay,
To the true friend of Caesar.
Marc Anthony, they say.

Why did not Brutus succeed?
Where did he step wrong?
Where to draw the line,
When performing for a Roman throng?

Brutus, he thought,
Of future Roman lives.
Wanted to save the Republic.
Should not have been done with knives.

Did Caesar fall?
Physical presence gone.
But with nephew Tiberius in power,
He certainly won.

(Copyright, Coffeehouse: May not be reprinted without my permission)

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Minor note: it's "Et tu", not "E tu".

And out of curiosity, in the fifth stanza, the last line reads "Was he a foolish player". In what sense are you using player? Do you mean it like an actor?

[Coffeehouse]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

Minor note: it's "Et tu", not "E tu".

And out of curiosity, in the fifth stanza, the last line reads "Was he a foolish player". In what sense are you using player? Do you mean it like an actor?

Ah, hehe, yeah that's my Portuguese playing in Thanx, you're perfectly right. Can't believe I never spotted that.

I think I meant Caesar as a player in politics.

*Edit: Not my French in this case actually, my Portuguese!* In Portuguese, if you want to say "and you?", f.ex., you'd say "e voce?"