Summary

The first quatrain begins with an exhortation to wake up. The scene is set in the morning, with “a Shaft of Light” hitting “The Sultan’s Turret” (1). This is very regal image that situates the poetic locale as within an empire, likely in a rich city that hosts an imperial court. This call is to an unknown person, but it sets the verse in motion as it describes the ebb between day and night. The verse then employs the first person and refers to the narrator hearing a voice from within a tavern, goading those outside the tavern who wish to enter.

The fourth quatrain digresses from this imagery and references the cyclical nature of desire and longing, solitude, and respite. It refers to Moses and Jesus, two prophets shared amongst the monotheistic Abrahamic religions. These are two easy examples of revered and...