The Polar Quest
Richard Francis Burton 1821 (Torquay) – 1890 (Trieste)
UNCONQUERABLY, men venture on the quest
And seek an ocean amplitude unsailed,
Cold, virgin, awful. Scorning ease and rest,
And heedless of the heroes who have failed,
They face the ice floes with a dauntless zest.
The polar quest! Life’s offer to the strong!
To pass beyond the pale, to do and dare,
Leaving a name that stirs us like a song.
And making captive some strange Otherwhere,
Though grim the conquest, and the labor long.
Forever courage kindles, faith moves forth
To find the mystic floodway of the North.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 27 sec read
- 47 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AAAXA BCBCB DD |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 540 |
Words | 92 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 2 |
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"The Polar Quest" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/30085/the-polar-quest>.
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