I do dearly love the idea of this node.

Prose? Poetry? Both?

Does it really matter? Words all, no?

My choice for most poetic Hemingway comes from pages 49 and 50 of The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway's most lyrical, and most seemingly effortless, work.

Poetry indeed.





He remembered the time 
he had hooked one 
of a pair 
of marlin.  

The male fish always let 
the female fish feed first 
and the hooked fish 
the female 

made a wild 
    panic-stricken 
           despairing fight 
                   that soon exhausted her 

and all the time the male had stayed with her 
crossing the line and circling with her on the surface.  

He had stayed so close 
the old man was afraid 
he would cut the line
with his tail which was 

sharp as a scythe and 
almost of that size and shape.  

When the old man had 
           gaffed her and 
                  clubbed her 

holding the rapier bill with its sandpaper edge and 
clubbing her across the top of her head until 

her colour turned to a colour almost 
like the backing of mirrors 

and then 
with the boy’s aid 
hoisted her aboard 

the male fish had stayed by the side of the boat.  

Then, while the old man was 
clearing the lines and 
preparing the harpoon 

the male fish jumped high 
into the air beside the boat 
to see where the female was 
and then went down deep 

his lavender wings 
that were his pectoral fins 
spread wide and 
all his wide lavender stripes showing.  

He was beautiful, the old man remembered 
and he had stayed.  

That was the saddest thing 
I ever saw with them 
the old man thought.  

The boy was sad too and 
we begged her pardon and 
butchered her promptly.