"The Gift of Apollo (not a ghazal)" by A.E. Stallings
Time seems to be moving faster and faster each year, and there are a number of things I'd still love to learn, though it sure is a lot harder to find the time as an adult. One of those things is mythology. It's so interesting and intricate, and it is woven into so many art forms. I hate knowing that I don't pick up on things because I don't know all these stories.
In all honesty, I expected The Tortured Poets Department to reference more poetry or at least name-drop more poets. I haven't gotten deep into the internet forums or done much in-depth research on my own, so maybe there is more than I realize. All that to say, this poem definitely references a song that refers to mythology - "Cassandra."
To borrow from the Brooklyn Museum's website, Apollo was enamored with Cassandra and gave her the power of prophecy. But when she rejected him, he placed a curse on her that no one would believe her predictions. She was able to fortell the Greeks using the Trojan horse during the Trojan War, but no one believed her.
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