Poetry References in The Film
The film has two poetry references, one visual, the other verbal:
Old Arabic Love Poem on Persian Carpet: When Laura comes to see Alec at his friend's flat, there is a Middle Eastern rug hung on the wall. The style of the rug itself confirms it is Persian, however, the beautiful calligraphy is Arabic. It is from a 9th century love poem by the Arab poet Ali Bin Salwa Al-qusari. it reads from right-hand corner of the rug and going anti-clockwise: The Utterance of Passion - In My Eye - Speaks To You!
The poem that Fred asks Laura to assist him with is by John Keats: "When I have Fears that I may Cease to Be". The actual quote Fred recites is 'When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face, Huge cloudy symbols of a high Romance ....'.
Read more about this topic: Brief Encounter
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“Good poetry could not have been otherwise written than it is. The first time you hear it, it sounds rather as if copied out of some invisible tablet in the Eternal mind than as if arbitrarily composed by the poet.”
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