I Shall Not Burn
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
I have done with love and lust,
I reck not for gold or fame;
I await familiar dust
These frail fingers to reclaim:
Not for me the tiger flame.
Not for me the furnace glow,
Rage of fire and ashen doom;
To sweet earth my bones bestow
Where above a lowly tomb
January roses bloom.
Fools and fools and fools are you
Who your dears to fires confide;
Give to Mother Earth her due:
Flesh may waste but bone will bide,--
Let loved ones lie side by side.
Let God's Acre ever dream;
Shed your tears and blossoms bring;
On age-burnished bone will gleam
Crucifix and wedding ring:
Graves are for sweet comforting.
Curst be those who my remains
Hurl to horror of the flames!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 38 sec read
- 68 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABB CDCDD EFEFF GHGHH XX |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 753 |
Words | 128 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 5, 5, 2 |
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"I Shall Not Burn" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32176/i-shall-not-burn>.
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