An American to France
Alice Duer Miller 1874 (New York) – 1942 (New York)
O FRANCE, with what a shamed and sorry smile
We now recall that in a bygone day
We sought of you art, wit, perfection, style;
You were to us a playground and a play.
Paris was ours - its sudden green edged spaces
And sweeping vistas to the coming night,
Brocades and jewels, porcelains and laces
All these we took for leisure and delight.
And all the time we should have drunk our fill
Of wisdom known to you and you alone,
Clear-eyed self-knowledge, silent courage, will;
And now too late, we see these things are one:
That art is sacrifice and self-control,
And who loves beauty must be stern of soul.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 14, 2023
- 34 sec read
- 53 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCDCDEFEGHH |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 605 |
Words | 114 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"An American to France" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/1452/an-american-to-france>.
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