A Jelly-Fish
Marianne Moore
Visible, invisible,
A fluctuating charm,
An amber-colored amethyst
Inhabits it; your arm
Approaches, and
It opens and
It closes;
You have meant
To catch it,
And it shrivels;
You abandon
Your intent—
It opens, and it
Closes and you
Reach for it—
The blue
Surrounding it
Grows cloudy, and
It floats away
From you.
Marianne Moore (1887-1972) was an American Modernist poet who was celebrated for her work’s irony, precision, and wit. A Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Moore steered away from the English poetic tradition and was known for her carefully constructed language being written in unusual meters.
