A Protean Glimpse.
Time and I pass to and fro,
Hardly greeting as we go, -
Go askant, like crossing wings
Of sea-gulls where the brave sea sings.
Time, the messenger of Fate!
Cunning master of debate,
Cunning soother of all sorrow,
Ruthless robber of to-morrow;
Tyrant to our dallying feet,
Though patron of a life complete;
Like Puck upon a rosy cloud,
He rides to distance while we woo him, -
Like pale Remorse wrapped in a shroud,
He brings the world in sackcloth to him!
O dimly seen, and often met
As shadowings of a wild regret!
O king of us, yet feebly served;
Dispenser of the dooms reserved;
So silent at the folly done,
So deadly when our respite's gone! -
As sea-gulls, slanting, cross at sea,
So cross our rapid flights with thee.
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Submitted on August 03, 2020
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 40 sec read
- 2 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AABB CCAADDEFEFGGHHXXII |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 705 |
Words | 135 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 18 |
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"A Protean Glimpse." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/56571/a-protean-glimpse.>.
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