Cleopatra Quote by Ted Hughes
““CLEOPATRA TO THE ASP The bright mirror I braved: the devil in it Loved me like my soul, my soul: Now that I seek myself in a serpent My smile is fatal. Nile moves in me; my thighs splay Into the squalled Mediterranean; My brain hides in that Abyssinia Lost armies foundered towards. Desert and river unwrinkle again. Seeming to bring them the waters that make drunk Caesar, Pompey, Antony I drank. Now let the snake reign. A half-deity out of Capricorn, This rigid Augustus mounts With his sword virginal indeed; and has shorn Summarily the moon-horned river From my bed. May the moon Ruin him with virginity! Drink me, now, whole With coiled Egypt's past; then from my delta Swim like a fish toward Rome.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “Cleopatra to the Asp” by Ted Hughes, 1970
The speaker merges with a serpent, embracing danger and transformation, using mythic imagery to explore power, death, and rebirth.
In simple terms: Embrace danger to transform.
Key Takeaway
Accept change through confronting fear.
Themes
myth
transformation
power
Mood
dramatic
intense
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- creative block
- spiritual awakening
- career change
Key Concepts
literature
symbolism
identity
Questions to Reflect On
- What fears could you confront for growth?
- How does myth help you understand change?
A Different Perspective
Romanticizing danger can be self‑destructive.
