A Black-List

Ambrose Bierce 1842 (Meigs County) – 1914 (Chihuahua)



'Resolved that we will post,' the tradesmen say,
'All names of debtors who do never pay.'
'Whose shall be first?' inquires the ready scribe
'Who are the chiefs of the marauding tribe?'
Lo! high Parnassus, lifting from the plain,
Upon his hoary peak, a noble fane!
Within that temple all the names are scrolled
Of village bards upon a slab of gold;
To that bad eminence, my friend, aspire,
And copy thou the Roll of Fame, entire.
Yet not to total shame those names devote,
But add in mercy this explaining note:
'These cheat because the law makes theft a crime,
And they obey all laws but laws of rhyme.'

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
75

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDDEFDDGG
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 598
Words 117
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist. more…

All Ambrose Bierce poems | Ambrose Bierce Books

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