Here the crow starves, here the patient stag And the soft sky, scarcely room To leap or soar. Substance crumbles, in the thin air Moon cold or moon hot. The road winds in
Listlessness of ancient war, Languor of broken steel, Clamour of confused wrong, apt In silence. Memory is strong Beyond the bone. Pride snapped,
Shadow of pride is long, in the long pass No concurrence of bone.
[5]
[10]
[Title] Rannoch: moor near Glencoe, which is a valley on the River Coe in the Scottish Highlands, where a terrible massacre occurred in 1692
GLOSSARY GLOSSARY
[1] stag: male deer
[2] moor: large expanse of uncultivated upland, sometimes preserved for shooting; also known as a heath
[5] Moon cold or moon hot: December moon or June moon (December and June are the months of the winter and summer solstices)
[6] Listlessness: lacking energy or enthusiasm [7] Languor: weakness; exhaustion [8] Clamour: loud and confused noise [8] apt:
[11] pass: mountain pass – a route through a mountain range or over a ridge