The Haughty Snail-King
Vachel Lindsay 1879 (Springfield) – 1931 (Springfield)
Twelve snails went walking after night.
They'd creep an inch or so,
Then stop and bug their eyes
And blow.
Some folks . . . are . . . deadly . . . slow.
Twelve snails went walking yestereve,
Led by their fat old king.
They were so dull their princeling had
No sceptre, robe or ring—
Only a paper cap to wear
When nightly journeying.
This king-snail said: "I feel a thought
Within. . . . It blossoms soon. . . .
O little courtiers of mine, . . .
I crave a pretty boo. . . .
Oh, yes . . . (High thoughts with effort come
And well-bred snails are ALMOST dumb.)
"I wish I had a yellow crown
As glistering . . . as . . . the moon."
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 32 sec read
- 140 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XAXAAXBXBXB XCXXDDXC |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 618 |
Words | 107 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 11, 8 |
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"The Haughty Snail-King" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/37368/the-haughty-snail-king>.
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