A Brave Refrain
James Whitcomb Riley 1849 (Greenfield) – 1916 (Indianapolis)
When snow is here, and the trees look weird,
And the knuckled twigs are gloved with frost;
When the breath congeals in the drover's beard,
And the old pathway to the barn is lost;
When the rooster's crow is sad to hear,
And the stamp of the stabled horse is vain,
And the tone of the cow-bell grieves the ear--
O then is the time for a brave refrain!
When the gears hang stiff on the harness-peg,
And the tallow gleams in frozen streaks;
And the old hen stands on a lonesome leg,
And the pump sounds hoarse and the handle squeaks;
When the woodpile lies in a shrouded heap,
And the frost is scratched from the window-pane
And anxious eyes from the inside peep--
O then is the time for a brave refrain!
When the ax-helve warms at the chimney-jamb,
And hob-nailed shoes on the hearth below,
And the house-cat curls in a slumber calm,
And the eight-day clock ticks loud and slow;
When the harsh broom-handle jabs the ceil
'Neath the kitchen-loft, and the drowsy brain
Sniffs the breath of the morning meal--
O then is the time for a brave refrain!
ENVOI
When the skillet seethes, and a blubbering hot
Tilts the lid of the coffee-pot,
And the scent of the buckwheat cake grows plain--
O then is the time for a brave refrain!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 24, 2023
- 1:09 min read
- 99 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ababcdcD efefgdgD xhxhhdxD iidD |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,200 |
Words | 229 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 4 |
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"A Brave Refrain" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/20755/a-brave-refrain>.
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