There Was One
Dorothy Parker 1893 (Long Branch) – 1967 (New York City)
There was one a-riding grand
On a tall brown mare,
And a fine gold band
He brought me there.
A little, gold band
He held to me
That would shine on a hand
For the world to see.
There was one a-walking swift
To a little, new song,
And a rose was the gift
He carried along,
First of all the posies,
Dewy and red.
They that have roses
Never need bread.
There was one with a swagger
And a soft, slow tongue,
And a bright, cold dagger
Where his left hand swung-
Craven and gilt,
Old and bad-
And his stroking of the hilt
Set a girl mad.
There was one a-riding grand
As he rode from me.
And he raised his golden band
And he threw it in the sea.
There was one a-walking slow
To a sad, Iong sigh.
And his rose drooped low,
And he flung it down to die.
There was one with a swagger
And a little, sharp pride,
And a bright, cold dagger
Ever at his side.
At his side it stayed
When he ran to part.
What is this blade
Struck through my heart?
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 29, 2023
- 58 sec read
- 129 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | Abab acac dede fgfg HiHi jkjk Acac lmlm HnHn opop |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 938 |
Words | 194 |
Stanzas | 10 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"There Was One" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 6 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/8277/there-was-one>.
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