Aquarium

by Harold Acton (1923) — a poem card from Justes Mots

A vivid catalog of exotic aquarium fish rendered in ornate, sensory language that celebrates nature's chromatic and formal beauty. Acton invites readers to purchase 'tickets' to marvel at creatures described through lush, sometimes grotesque imagery. This playful poem serves nature lovers and those seeking linguistic exuberance.

IF you would view, buy tickets at the door.
Your brain for lucre please! the fishes here
Require some effort on your part, no more,
For comprehension; then the water’s clear
And you will see, dimpling in hyaline
Fish, oval, strange, glitter as rubied wine
In crystal goblets; fish with spotted gills,
Great flower-fish like open daffodils,…

Themes: love · new-baby · wedding · friendship