The Optimist
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919
The fields were bleak and sodden. Not a wing
Or note enlivened the depressing wood,
A soiled and sullen, stubborn snowdrift stood
Beside the roadway. Winds came muttering
Of storms to be, and brought the chilly sting
Of icebergs in their breath. Stalled cattle mooed
Forth plaintive pleadings for the earth's green food.
No gleam, no hint of hope in anything.
The sky was blank and ashen, like the face
Of some poor wretch who drains life's cup too fast.
Yet, swaying to and fro, as if to fling
About chilled Nature its lithe arms of grace,
Smiling with promise in the wintry blast,
The optimistic Willow spoke of spring.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 34 sec read
- 81 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBAABXA CDACDA |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 619 |
Words | 112 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 6 |
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"The Optimist" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/10882/the-optimist>.
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