JULIUS

CAESAR
Of Omen and Myth Cinna the Poet
I
To Julius Caesar
Caesar, noble Caesar, the lion that doth not strike,
Your power nor your fairness can save you from the fifteenth night.
Beware the crooked man that lingers in the shadows,
Beware his crowing voice and his clairvoyant eye,
For as he calls Beware! to you and speaks of future sorrows,
Surely, hell mark the day of which your earthly form will die.
Caesar, selfless Caesar, the North Star for the people,
Beware your wifes nightmare for it speaks of a true evil.
Do not dismiss the bloody omen pouring from your statue,
For even as you comfort her, eight have conspired to strike you.
Caesar, clever Caesar, rejecter of the legends,
The occult have shown you signs that will forever seal your lifes end.
Beware the heartless sacrificed beast,
Not a sign of cowardice, but wretched fate at least.
Take not to the Capitol, the commonwealth can dwell,
Lest they wish to give their leader a violent farewell.



II
To the Rebels

Rebels, sneaking rebels, lurking in the night,
This fateful act, the driving dagger, will be your hearts one plight.
Rebels, righteous rebels, knowing all you do,
Prepare to pay for all youve done, prepare to face your dues.
Beware the shrieking owl, as it hoots out your last warning,
That this bloody strike, this deadly plot, will bring your families mourning.
Rebels, daring rebels, bringing down the head of Rome,
Be sure this is your desire, for you are never coming home.
Beware the crash and boom of nature in its fiery thunder and lightning,
Casca was wise to feel dismay of this threat far more than frightening.
Rebels, fearless rebels, the believed protectors of justice,
Hold your heads high as you stab this man, this leader of little malice.
Beware the prowling lion as it skulks about the city,
For as it walks past, calm and fair, you kill a republic, not a tyranny.
Rebels, selfish rebels, lusting after power,
For many of you, this scene of blood and chaos will bring your final hour.
Beware the blazing men of fire, their moans heard down the streets,
For your souls will face a similar fate as you conduct this wicked feat.
III
To Marcus Brutus and Caius Cassius
Brutus, stoic Brutus, logical and noble,
Do not rely on others words to decide whats truly viable.
Beware the ghost of your fallen friend, whose blood ran cross your blade,
For the road to Phillipi will be your last in your doubtful hearts charade.
Cassius, impulsive Cassius, fool of passion and of drama,
Let not your fickle mind be clouded as you march to war and trauma.
Beware the eagle, though valiant and true,
For it has much darker meaning for you.
Although you believe yourself in command,
Your fate rests in a mere soldiers hand.
Cassius, woeful Cassius, prone to anger and to heartache,
Sacrifice not your life for the pure motives you can only fake.
And Brutus, steadfast Brutus, truest of them all,
Not even you, oh loving friend, can escape this tragic fall.
Beware the ravens and the crows, hunters of the dead,
For just as you have killed another, your blood too will shed.
Not for valor, and not for grace,
But for your own shameful mistakes.

IV
To The People

Signs shall come in many ways, to many different people,
Some are signs of happy days, others impending evil.
Whether beast or force of nature, every sign should be respected,
For pain and suffering may come your way from those that are neglected.
The ways of the gods are mystical and unseen,
And the demons toy with us, the one whose world lies in between.
A premonition, omen, feeling or sign,
Can serve as direction from the mysterious divine.
None should be taken as too strange, or even as too silly,
For it has come to show that just ones name can serve him oh so ill-ly.


- The late Cinna the Poet, ignorer of omens






Carrie Weeks
This project is a collection of a few poems as if written by Cinna the Poet. Each poem deals with a
different subject and the omens that are presented to them during Julius Caesar. The first is about
Caesar himself and the omens that foreshadow his eventual death, the second is for the conspirators in
general and the ill signs they are confronted with before killing Caesar, and the third speaks to Brutus
and Cassius in particular and the superstitions that plague them. I chose to write poems because it
combines two of my favorite hobbies, writing and art. It seemed like a concept that was easy enough to
pick out from the different scenes and definitely one of the more important themes in Julius Caesar.
Symbolism was a huge part of this play and I wanted to play upon that fact through poetry.