Curious Circumstance

Elinor Morton Wylie 1885 (Somerville, New Jersey) – 1928 (New York City, New York)



The sailorman's child
And the girl of the witch--
They can't be defiled
By touching pitch.

The sailorman's son
Had a ship for a nursery;
The other one
Was baptised by sorcery.

Although he's shipped
To the Persian Gulf, her
Body's been dipped
In burning sulphur.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

15 sec read
57

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 267
Words 48
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

Elinor Morton Wylie

Elinor Morton Wylie was an American poet and novelist popular in the 1920s and 1930s. "She was famous during her life almost as much for her ethereal beauty and personality as for her melodious, sensuous poetry." more…

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