Sozopol*

[Erthona]

My knowledge of this area is limited to Byzantine period, and that only to the strategic placement of Constantinople on the Bosphorus, none of which takes in this particular town. It seems that understanding the poem is predicated on having some knowledge of the town, at least I assume so, for except for the first four lines, I really didn't get much from the poem. As a brief word sketch, it appears to impose upon the reader the need for the ability to infer what certain connection might mean, without giving any information but the barest description. Such as the following:

"A strange town of the sharp streets
of ancient men (the men are absent).
Where are thy men?"

Why is the town strange? Why is that important? Why is it mentioned?

I haven't the foggiest who these ancient men are, why they are absent, or why anyone should care.

You allude to something, but supply no context, "a strange town", "ancient men". Making statements of vague allusion, on the whole seems as pointless as your use of "thy". Maybe this would make sense to people from this town (although I have my doubts), but it makes none to me. This strikes me in terms of poetry as a sentence fragment would strike me in terms of grammar.

Dale