The Death of Tristram
Tristram lies dying - a familiar tale -
He had sent for Isolde (the true one) whose art
Could have tended his wounds and solaced his heart.
The pre-arranged signal that things had gone right
Was that when in the offing, the sail would be white.
But the Black Isolde described a black sail,
So he died in dismay, and quite unaware
When Isolde (the true one) arrived to despair.
The scene, like the story, is all total fiction,
So critics can't say it contains contradiction.
Yet those corbels and keystones and suchlike behind -
What delirious dreams could they start in his mind?
