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The Cliff Temple by H. D.

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A speaker ascends a dramatic sea cliff to arrive at what seems like a sacred spot—a temple at the world's edge—only to discover that the divine figure she seeks continues to slip further away.

Poet
H. D.
Composed
1916 · Modernist
Core theme
Beauty
The PoemFull text

The Cliff Temple

H. D., 1916

I Great, bright portal, shelf of rock, rocks fitted in long ledges, rocks fitted to dark, to silver granite, to lighter rock-- clean cut, white against white. High--high--and no hill-goat tramples--no mountain-sheep has set foot on your fine grass; you lift, you are the world-edge, pillar for the sky-arch. The world heaved-- we are next to the sky: over us, sea-hawks shout, gulls sweep past-- the terrible breakers are silent from this place. Below us, on the rock-edge, where earth is caught in the fissures of the jagged cliff, a small tree stiffens in the gale, it bends--but its white flowers are fragrant at this height. And under and under, the wind booms: it whistles, it thunders, it growls--it presses the grass beneath its great feet. II I said: for ever and for ever, must I follow you through the stones? I catch at you--you lurch: you are quicker than my hand-grasp. I wondered at you. I shouted--dear--mysterious--beautiful-- white myrtle-flesh. I was splintered and torn: the hill-path mounted swifter than my feet. Could a daemon avenge this hurt, I would cry to him--could a ghost, I would shout--O evil, follow this god, taunt him with his evil and his vice. III Shall I hurl myself from here, shall I leap and be nearer you? Shall I drop, beloved, beloved, ankle against ankle? Would you pity me, O white breast? If I woke, would you pity me, would our eyes meet? Have you heard, do you know how I climbed this rock? My breath caught, I lurched forward-- stumbled in the ground-myrtle. Have you heard, O god seated on the cliff, how far toward the ledges of your house, how far I had to walk? IV Over me the wind swirls. I have stood on your portal and I know-- you are further than this, still further on another cliff.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A speaker ascends a dramatic sea cliff to arrive at what seems like a sacred spot—a temple at the world's edge—only to discover that the divine figure she seeks continues to slip further away. The poem explores the pain and joy of pursuing something beautiful and godlike that remains just out of reach. By the end, the speaker realizes the chase is unending: there’s always another cliff, always another ledge that eludes her grasp.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Great, bright portal, / shelf of rock,

    Editor's note

    H. D. begins by portraying the cliff face as an architectural threshold — a "portal" — which transforms raw geology into a sacred space. The layered descriptions of the rocks (dark, silver, lighter, white) create a visual sense of the cliff rising higher, and the concluding phrase "clean cut, white against white" imparts a purity that feels nearly blinding. This isn’t merely a cliff; it's already a temple before we’re explicitly informed of it.

  2. High--high--and no hill-goat / tramples--

    Editor's note

    The repeated "High--high--" echoes the exhausting struggle of climbing. The lack of animals — no goats, no sheep — suggests this height transcends ordinary nature, creating a distinct realm. The cliff transforms into a cosmic pillar supporting the sky, elevating the scene from mere landscape to myth.

  3. The world heaved-- / we are next to the sky:

    Editor's note

    The abrupt switch to "we" is noticeable — it indicates that the speaker is not alone or is talking to someone else. Being "next to the sky" while sea-hawks cry above brings about a mix of dizziness and excitement. The point that "the terrible breakers are silent / from this place" is important: being up high turns chaos into calm, hinting that the cliff provides a divine perspective that alters everything.

  4. Below us, on the rock-edge, / where earth is caught in the fissures

    Editor's note

    A small tree clings to the cliff and flowers even in the midst of the gale, creating one of the poem's most quietly powerful images. It bends but doesn’t break, and its flowers still carry a lovely fragrance at this extreme height. H. D. uses this image to show that beauty and life can endure even in the toughest situations — reflecting the speaker's own relentless pursuit.

  5. And under and under, / the wind booms:

    Editor's note

    The closing stanza of Part I is all about sound. The wind is given human traits with "great feet," pushing the grass down. The repetition of "under and under" along with the action words — booms, whistles, thunders, growls — makes the wind feel alive, almost like a deity. This creates the divine atmosphere that Part II will clarify.

  6. I said: / for ever and for ever, must I follow you

    Editor's note

    Part II shatters the tranquil scene and plunges us into an intense, personal struggle. The speaker is pursuing someone — a "you" who seems quicker, hard to grasp, almost otherworldly. The phrases "dear--mysterious--beautiful-- / white myrtle-flesh" reveal this figure as both human and divine, blending the erotic with the sacred. The speaker's frustration is palpable: she feels "splintered and torn" by the pursuit, and the path up the hill races ahead of her steps.

  7. Could a daemon avenge this hurt, / I would cry to him--

    Editor's note

    The speaker's desire takes a darker turn here. She refers to the pursued figure as a "god," yet longs for a daemon — a lesser spirit — to torment and punish him. This reflects the language of Greek myth, where gods can hurt mortals, leaving them with no option but to seek help from other supernatural beings. The anger is genuine, but so is the underlying sense of helplessness.

  8. Shall I hurl myself from here, / shall I leap and be nearer you?

    Editor's note

    Part III begins with the poem's most perilous moment. The speaker considers leaping off the cliff to bridge the distance between her and the beloved. The question "Would you pity me, O white breast?" creates a feeling of closeness while also suggesting indifference. The speaker goes on to depict the physical struggle of the ascent — gasping for breath, tripping through the myrtle — as if she's presenting her pain as evidence of her devotion to a deity who might not even be paying attention.

  9. Over me the wind swirls. / I have stood on your portal

    Editor's note

    Part IV is just five lines long and feels like a door slamming shut. The speaker has reached the pinnacle — the portal, the temple — only to face a harsh truth: the divine figure is absent. He is "further than this, / still further on another cliff." The journey has no conclusion. The cliff that seemed like a destination is merely another barrier. H. D. leaves the speaker exposed to the wind, holding onto that realization and nothing more.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone follows a distinct progression: a sense of awe and reverence in Part I, raw frustration and pain in Part II, desperate longing that flirts with self-destruction in Part III, and a stripped, exhausted clarity in Part IV. H. D. avoids melodrama — the short, punchy lines maintain a tight control over the emotion, even when the feelings run deep. There’s an ancient, ritualistic quality to it all, reminiscent of a hymn sung by someone who no longer believes the god will respond but continues to sing regardless.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The cliff / portal
The cliff is both a natural landscape and a sacred threshold—a temple shaped by geology instead of human hands. It marks the dividing line between the mortal and the divine, the attainable and what remains eternally out of reach.
The small flowering tree
Clinging to the rock in the storm and still blooming with fragrant flowers, the tree reflects the speaker's own state: battered by the chase for something immense, yet still creating beauty and emotion. It's survival without victory.
The wind
The wind permeates this poem, acting like a god—it booms, growls, thunders, and presses down on the earth with "great feet." It symbolizes the divine power that envelops the speaker, yet remains elusive and beyond understanding.
White myrtle
Myrtle held a sacred significance to Aphrodite in Greek tradition, linking the "white myrtle-flesh" of the pursued figure and the ground-myrtle that the speaker stumbles upon to themes of erotic, divine love. This plant transforms the entire landscape into a space belonging to Aphrodite.
The leap
The speaker's contemplated leap from the cliff in Part III isn't just an act of despair — it's an effort to bridge the gap between humanity and divinity through complete surrender. This moment reflects the myth of Sappho's jump from the Leucadian cliff for love, a reference that H. D. likely had in mind.
Another cliff
The final image — the god is "still further on another cliff" — transforms the entire poem into a symbol of endless, unattainable desire. Each destination becomes merely a new starting point. The journey itself defines the experience, rather than serving as a route to closure.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
free verse

§07Historical context

Historical context

H. D. (Hilda Doolittle) was a key player in the Imagist movement, which Ezra Pound helped kick off in the early 1910s, using H. D.'s own concise, image-focused poems as a model. In her 1916 collection *Sea Garden*, she published "The Cliff Temple," a work filled with stark coastal scenes, Greek mythology, and the struggle between beauty and violence. H. D. spent crucial years in Europe, especially in Greece and England, where Greek mythology wasn't just ornamental for her — it served as a vital lens for exploring desire, identity, and spiritual yearning. The poem references Sappho's tradition, whose fragments H. D. translated and greatly admired, as well as the Greek concept of the daemon as a bridge between humans and gods. Written during a tumultuous time in her life — marked by a complicated relationship with Pound and her marriage to Richard Aldington — the poem's desperate quest for an elusive divine figure carries a strong autobiographical resonance.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

Who is the 'you' the speaker is chasing in Parts II and III?

H. D. intentionally maintains ambiguity around the figure. Terms like "god," "white myrtle-flesh," and "O white breast" create a mix between a human beloved and a Greek deity. Many readers interpret this figure as both a tangible person the speaker longs for and an unattainable divine presence. This dual identity is key to the essence of Imagist poetry, where the concrete and the mythic coexist seamlessly.

Is the speaker actually thinking about jumping off the cliff?

Yes, and H. D. means it seriously. "Shall I hurl myself from here, / shall I leap and be nearer you?" reflects a real struggle with self-destruction as a means to bridge the gap between the mortal and the divine. It also resonates with the ancient tale of Sappho jumping from the Leucadian cliff because of unrequited love—a myth H. D. was certainly familiar with. The leap signifies both a literal danger and a nod to mythology.

What does the title 'The Cliff Temple' mean?

H. D. views the cliff as a sacred structure — a temple crafted not by humans but by nature itself. The term "portal" in the opening line emphasizes this: the cliff face serves as a doorway into a divine realm. By the poem's conclusion, the speaker arrives at this portal, only to find it opens to another cliff, another threshold. The temple exists, but the god within it is ever-elusive.

Why does H. D. use such short, choppy lines?

This is Imagist style at its most intentional. The short lines make the reader stop and take in the significance of each image individually — "shelf of rock," "clean cut, white against white" — instead of allowing the meaning to blend together in a seamless flow. This abruptness also reflects the physical act of climbing: it’s laborious, breathless, and taken one foothold at a time.

What is a daemon, and why does the speaker invoke one?

In Greek belief, a daemon (or daimon) was a spirit that existed between humans and gods — not evil like the English term "demon" suggests, but more of a divine intermediary. The speaker desires a daemon to chase and taunt the god who has wronged her, since, as a mortal, she lacks the power to confront a god directly. This reflects her helpless rage: unable to reach him herself, she invokes something that can.

What is the significance of the small flowering tree in Part I?

The tree bends in the strong wind but continues to bloom with fragrant white flowers. This is one of H. D.'s hallmark styles: discovering beauty that endures even in harsh circumstances. The tree reflects the speaker — battered and precarious, holding on to a tough environment, yet still alive and creating something beautiful. It's not a victory; it's simply a testament to resilience.

How does this poem connect to Greek mythology?

The connections are everywhere. The cliff-as-temple reminds us of the Greek sacred sites perched on high altitudes. The myrtle plant holds sacred significance for Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The figure being pursued is referred to as a "god." The daemon represents a concept from Greek theology. The speaker's imagined leap reflects the Sappho legend. H. D. isn't just embellishing the poem with mythology; she is embedding herself within it, using the Greek mythic world as the natural language for expressing profound emotional experiences.

What does the ending mean — 'you are further than this, / still further on another cliff'?

It’s the poem's gut-punch conclusion. The speaker has climbed to what she thought was the god's home, only to find that he isn’t there—he’s always just one cliff further away. The chase turns out to be endlessly structured. This isn’t exactly despair; it’s clarity. The speaker understands her situation's shape now, even if that shape doesn’t bring any comfort.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

D., H. "The Cliff Temple." 1916. Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/the-cliff-temple-h-d/.

APA

D., H. (1916). The cliff temple. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/the-cliff-temple-h-d/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In H. D.'s 'The Cliff Temple,' the speaker's vertical ascent through an imagined sacred landscape becomes an act of devotional pursuit that ultimately exposes the impossibility of union with the divine. The higher the speaker climbs, the …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
  • Common student errors
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