Dec 24, 2009
“Domino” consists of three sestets, each following a strict rhyme scheme (abcacb). The title of the poem presents not only the ostensible subject of the poem—Domino sugar—but also hints at other esoteric levels of meaning. In addition to representing a trade name, the title can be read as domino—the dative possessive case of the Latin dominus, meaning “lord, master,” or “clergyman”—or as the name of the black game pieces marked with white dots. With this rich title, James Merrill signals the economic and theological concerns...
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