The More Loving One
W.H. Auden 1907 – 1973
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.
How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.
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Submitted by rip_k on March 15, 2022
Modified on May 03, 2023
- 39 sec read
- 70 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 576 |
Words | 133 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"The More Loving One" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/122596/the-more-loving-one>.
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