The Day and the Work
Edwin Markham 1852 (Oregon City) – 1940
To each man is given a day and his
work for the day;
And once and no more is to be given to
travel that way.
And woe if he flies from the task,
whatever the odds.
For the task is appointed to him on
the scroll of the gods.
To each man is given a marble to
carve for the wall;
A stone that is needed t heighten the
beauty of all;
And only his soul has the magic to
give it grace,
And only his hands have the cunning
to put it in place.
Yes; the task that is given to each
man, no other can do;
So the errand is waiting; it has waited
through ages for you;
And now you appear; and the Hushed
One is turning His grace
To see what you do with your chance
in the chamber of days.
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Submitted on July 18, 2015
Modified on March 22, 2023
- 43 sec read
- 162 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XABAXCXC BDXDBEXE XBXBXEXX |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 723 |
Words | 146 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
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"The Day and the Work" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/43981/the-day-and-the-work>.
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