Mutation.

Robert Crawford 1959 (Bellshill)



The peaceful years, and then the stormy time
When the perturbed Earth moans, and Death himself
Seems ready to seize all his prey, 'to smite
Once and to smite no more.' Not yet the end,
And still the labour of the God goes on:
Time sows and reaps, and men are born and die;
Moons wax and wane, and all is changing still
As in the dream of some mysterious Power,
A dream of joy and woe, obscure as life —
That vagrant melody still lapsing down
The aeons to our doom!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

28 sec read
327

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCCDCEFGHI
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 464
Words 95
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 11

Robert Crawford

Robert Crawford FRSE FBA is a Scottish poet, scholar and critic. He is currently Professor of English at the University of St Andrews.  more…

All Robert Crawford poems | Robert Crawford Books

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    "Mutation." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/30716/mutation.>.

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