Excelsior
Francis William Bourdillon 1852 (Runcorn) – 1921
If one should strive to reach a star,
He would not build a ladder high,
Seek foot by foot to climb so far,
And step by step ascend the sky;
But he would seek the wild bird’s wings,
The secret of the lightning’s play,
Leap out upon the night’s blue rings,
And hail at dawn his wished-for day.
I will not vainly seek to thee
By ladder-steps of wealth or fame,
Till some few feet below me be
The world, thy distance still the same.
But I will seek that influence
By which all nature’s marvels move,
Till I, by flash or flight from hence,
Win to thee as on wings of Love.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 34 sec read
- 97 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EFEF XXXX |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 568 |
Words | 115 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Excelsior" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/13965/excelsior>.
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