Release date is 2026-05-17

Terry Jeffress and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Archways of life by Mercedes de Acosta is a collection of lyric poems written in the early 20th century. The book centers on love and its aftermath, longing and disillusionment, and the search for solace in art, nature, and the spirit.

The poems trace a relationship’s arc from enchantment to boredom, jealousy, and parting, lingering on intimate scenes in dark theatres, the fragrance of faded roses, and the ache of memory. Speaking in a direct, confessional voice, the poet affirms inner freedom even when passion consumes, and finds clarity in wind, sea, mountains, and starlight. Interludes on poetry, music, and a salute to Whitman consider art’s power and cruelty; city and travel sketches contrast human vulgarity with the ocean’s grandeur; reflections on youth, hope, and the postwar world sharpen a final mood of weariness and acceptance. Throughout, vivid images and musical rhythms turn private feeling into a broader meditation on how desire, beauty, and solitude shape a life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: New York: Moffat, Yard and Company, 1921