The Subalterns
Thomas Hardy 1840 (Stinsford) – 1928 (Dorchester, Dorset)
I
"Poor wanderer," said the leaden sky,
"I fain would lighten thee,
But there are laws in force on high
Which say it must not be."
II
--"I would not freeze thee, shorn one," cried
The North, "knew I but how
To warm my breath, to slack my stride;
But I am ruled as thou."
III
--"To-morrow I attack thee, wight,"
Said Sickness. "Yet I swear
I bear thy little ark no spite,
But am bid enter there."
IV
--"Come hither, Son," I heard Death say;
"I did not will a grave
Should end thy pilgrimage to-day,
But I, too, am a slave!"
V
We smiled upon each other then,
And life to me had less
Of that fell look it wore ere when
They owned their passiveness.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 09, 2023
- 39 sec read
- 227 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IXIG |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 630 |
Words | 138 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"The Subalterns" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/36567/the-subalterns>.
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