The Unknown

Edgar Lee Masters 1868 (Garnett) – 1950 (Elkins Park)



Ye aspiring ones, listen to the story of the unknown
Who lies here with no stone to mark the place.
As a boy reckless and wanton,
Wandering with gun in hand through the forest
Near the mansion of Aaron Hatfield,
I shot a hawk perched on the top
Of a dead tree.
He fell with guttural cry
At my feet, his wing broken.
Then I put him in a cage
Where he lived many days cawing angrily at me
When I offered him food.
Daily I search the realms of Hades
For the soul of the hawk,
That I may offer him the friendship
Of one whom life wounded and caged.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
60

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCDEFGHCIGJKLMN
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 537
Words 113
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 16

Edgar Lee Masters

Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, biographer, and dramatist. more…

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