The Bibliomaniac's'S Prayer

Eugene Field 1850 (St. Louis) – 1895 (Chicago)



Keep me, I pray, in wisdom's way
 That I may truths eternal seek;
I need protecting care to-day,--
 My purse is light, my flesh is weak.
So banish from my erring heart
 All baleful appetites and hints
Of Satan's fascinating art,
 Of first editions, and of prints.
Direct me in some godly walk
 Which leads away from bookish strife,
That I with pious deed and talk
 May extra-illustrate my life.

But if, O Lord, it pleaseth Thee
 To keep me in temptation's way,
I humbly ask that I may be
 Most notably beset to-day;
Let my temptation be a book,
 Which I shall purchase, hold, and keep,
Whereon when other men shall look,
 They'll wail to know I got it cheap.
Oh, let it such a volume be
 As in rare copperplates abounds,
Large paper, clean, and fair to see,
 Uncut, unique, unknown to Lowndes.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 30, 2023

45 sec read
135

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCDCDEFEF GAGAHIHIGXGX
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 778
Words 148
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 12, 12

Eugene Field

Eugene Field, Sr. was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays. more…

All Eugene Field poems | Eugene Field Books

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