Madman's Song

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



Better to see your cheek grown hollow,
Better to see your temple worn,
Than to forget to follow, follow,
After the sound of a silver horn.

Better to bind your brow with willow
And follow, follow until you die,
Than to sleep with your head on a golden pillow,
Nor lift it up when the hunt goes by.

Better to see your cheek grow sallow
And your hair grown gray, so soon, so soon,
Than to forget to hallo, hallo,
After the milk-white hounds of the moon.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 22, 2023

26 sec read
150

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB ACAC ADAD
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 456
Words 89
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…

All Elinor Morton Wylie poems | Elinor Morton Wylie Books

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