# Tapestry explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Langston Hughes.

## What happens

The poem contrasts the bold, adventurous lives of men who ride wild horses, wield sharp swords, and live as troubadours with the quiet, nostalgic dreams of old women reminiscing about past loves.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Loss

The poem evokes lost love through the image of wrinkled old beldams dreaming of old amours.

### Resilience and Joy

The men's swearing, laughing, loving, and singing reflect a resilient and joyful spirit.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The narrator observes and contrasts the lives of adventurous men and dreaming old women.

## Key lines

> Men who ride strange wild horses Down dangerous glens and glades, Men who draw keen sharp swords, Toledo or Damascus blades, Men who swear and laugh and love And live and sing like troubadours⁠— Wrinkled old beldams somewhere Are dreaming of old amours.

Bold men engage in risky adventures and live passionately, while somewhere, elderly women fondly recall their past romances.

_The poem juxtaposes the active, vibrant lives of men with the reflective, nostalgic dreams of old women._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters/tapestry
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters