The Bibliomaniac's'S Prayer
Eugene Field 1850 (St. Louis) – 1895 (Chicago)
Keep me, I pray, in wisdom's way
That I may truths eternal seek;
I need protecting care to-day,--
My purse is light, my flesh is weak.
So banish from my erring heart
All baleful appetites and hints
Of Satan's fascinating art,
Of first editions, and of prints.
Direct me in some godly walk
Which leads away from bookish strife,
That I with pious deed and talk
May extra-illustrate my life.
But if, O Lord, it pleaseth Thee
To keep me in temptation's way,
I humbly ask that I may be
Most notably beset to-day;
Let my temptation be a book,
Which I shall purchase, hold, and keep,
Whereon when other men shall look,
They'll wail to know I got it cheap.
Oh, let it such a volume be
As in rare copperplates abounds,
Large paper, clean, and fair to see,
Uncut, unique, unknown to Lowndes.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 30, 2023
- 45 sec read
- 135 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCDCDEFEF GAGAHIHIGXGX |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 778 |
Words | 148 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 12, 12 |
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"The Bibliomaniac's'S Prayer" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/13052/the-bibliomaniac's's-prayer>.
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