To a Goose
Robert Southey 1774 (Bristol) – 1843 (London)
If thou didst feed on western plains of yore
Or waddle wide with flat and flabby feet
Over some Cambrian mountain's plashy moor,
Or find in farmer's yard a safe retreat
From gipsy thieves and foxes sly and fleet;
If thy grey quills by lawyer guided, trace
Deeds big with ruin to some wretched race,
Or love-sick poet's sonnet, sad and sweet,
Wailing the rigour of some lady fair;
Or if, the drudge of housemaid's daily toil,
Cobwebs and dust thy pinion white besoil,
Departed goose! I neither know nor care.
But this I know, that thou wert very fine,
Seasoned with sage and onions and port wine.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 34 sec read
- 58 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABCBBDDBEFFEGG |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 603 |
Words | 110 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"To a Goose" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/31910/to-a-goose>.
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