Epitaph
Dorothy Parker 1893 (Long Branch) – 1967 (New York City)
The first time I died, I walked my ways;
I followed the file of limping days.
I held me tall, with my head flung up,
But I dared not look on the new moon's cup.
I dared not look on the sweet young rain,
And between my ribs was a gleaming pain.
The next time I died, they laid me deep.
They spoke worn words to hallow my sleep.
They tossed me petals, they wreathed me fern,
They weighted me down with a marble urn.
And I lie here warm, and I lie here dry,
And watch the worms slip by, slip by.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 31 sec read
- 135 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AA BB CC DD EE FF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 489 |
Words | 105 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 |
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"Epitaph" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/8143/epitaph>.
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