For LGBT+ History Month I have been reading the poem that a broken-hearted teenager (James VI of Scotland) wrote about his first crush, Esmé Stuart, on the occasion of Esmé's death.
The poem is called 'Phoenix' and it is a metaphor. It describes a beautiful, exotic bird. The phoenix flies with smaller birds by day and returns to James every night... (read more in replies)
You can read the whole thing here (https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=l_mbhjB5zYEC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=Ane%20Tragedie%20of%20the%20Phoenix&pg=RA4-PA477#)
Here is James' description of Esmé as a phoenix. 🏳️🌈
'By her port
And glistring hewes I knew that she was sum
Rare stranger fowle, which oft had usde to scum
Through divers lands, delyting in her flight
Which made us see so strange and rare a sight.'
(by her comportment / And glistening hues I knew that she was some / Rare strange fowl, which often used to skim / Through diverse lands, delighting in her flight; / Which made us see so strange and rare a sight)
The poem ends a bit sadly though. One day a group of carrion birds (ravens, kestrels, kites) get jealous and chase the phoenix back to her homeland, where she burns itself. In real life, Esmé and James VI were forcibly separated and Esmé was exiled back to France, where he died. Esmé also apparently sent his embalmed heart back to James which is pretty dark!
(lovely writeup here https://thehistoricalnovel.com/2022/02/09/queer-kings-queens-was-james-i-vi-gay/)
But Esmé had a son, Ludovic, who was nine years old when Esmé died. He was sent to James VI and this gives James' poem a hopeful ending, despite the TREACHERY and ENVY of those evil ravenous birds! :
'Part of my taill
Is yet untolde, Lo, here one of her race
Ane worm bred of her ash...'
(Part of my tale / Is yet untold, look! here is one of her race / a worm bred of her ash...)
James VI went on to have relationships with other men and women, but that's a story for another day!
Then having tane ane dry and wethered strae
In deip despair, and in ane lofty rage
She sprang up heigh, outfleing every fae
Syne to Panchaeia came, to change her age
Upon Appollo's altar...
(Then having taken a dry and withered staw / In deep despair and in a lofty rage / She sprang up high, outflying every foe / Soon to Panchaea came, to change her age / Upon Apollo's alter...)
#MiddleScots #JamesVI #poetry