Theophilus
Edwin Arlington Robinson 1869 – 1935
By what serene malevolence of names
Had you the gift of yours, Theophilus?
Not even a smeared young Cyclops at his games
Would have you long,—and you are one of us.
Told of your deeds I shudder for your dream
And they, no doubt, are few and innocent.
Meanwhile, I marvel; for in you, it seems,
Heredity outshines environment.
What lingering bit of Belial, unforeseen,
Survives and amplifies itself in you?
What manner of devilry has ever been
That your obliquity may never do?
Humility befits a father’s eyes,
But not a friend of us would have him weep.
Admiring everything that lives and dies,
Theophilus, we like you best asleep.
Sleep—sleep; and let us find another man
To lend another name less hazardous:
Caligula, maybe, or Caliban,
Or Cain,—but surely not Theophilus.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 41 sec read
- 82 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AAAB XCXC DEXE FGFG XBDA |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 787 |
Words | 137 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Theophilus" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/10082/theophilus>.
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