Little Joke

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



Stripping an almond tree in flower
The wise apothecary's skill
A single drop of lethal power
From perfect sweetness can distill

From bitterness in efflorescence,
With murderous poisons packed therein;
The poet draws pellucid essence
Pure as a drop of metheglin.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

13 sec read
55

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 268
Words 43
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 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…

All Elinor Morton Wylie poems | Elinor Morton Wylie Books

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    "Little Joke" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/10154/little-joke>.

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