A face marked by a lifetime of venal sin?

November 23, 2010 8:53 AM

Trying to identify a line of poetry - possibly written by an Irishman - that goes something like "a face marked by a lifetime of venal sin".

When Father Beese quoted it to me, apropos of having seen Ted Kennedy in an airport, I thought he attributed it to Dylan Thomas. Or maybe Seamus Haney. But I'm really not sure.

posted by Joe Beese to media & arts (5 answers total)

You mean venial sin, maybe?
posted by lydhre at 9:10 AM on November 23, 2010

You mean venial sin, maybe?

Although I suppose "venal" could make sense in this context, if the poet is in fact Irish, "venial" is probably correct.
posted by Joe Beese at 9:28 AM on November 23, 2010

I'm reminded of Oscar Wilde's quote: "A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction." but the sin thing isn't ringing any bells.
posted by readery at 10:30 AM on November 23, 2010

This is a little afield, but Sir Athur Conan Doyle, The Speckled Band? ("A large face, seared with a thousand wrinkles, burned yellow with the sun, and marked with every evil passion.")
posted by willbaude at 10:47 AM on November 23, 2010

It sounds like something from Frank McCourt - maybe from 'Tis. I remember a line in that where, as a young man newly arrived in New York someone tells him he has the map of Ireland written on his face and there's also some reference to sin as well.
posted by essexjan at 12:22 PM on November 23, 2010