I Might-and I Might Not
Gamaliel Bradford 1863 (Boston, Massachusetts) – 1932
I might forget ambition and the hunger for success.
I might forget the passion to escape from nothingness.
I might forget the curious dreams of ecstasy that haunt
My fancy day and night. I might forget them. But I can't.
If I could let the pen alone and leave the inkstand dry,
And forego perpetual effort to be climbing, climbing high,
And lay aside my mad designs to startle and enchant,
I might enjoy the sweet of common living. But I can't.
I might be just a Philistine, and eat, and drink, and sleep,
And drive a dusty motor and pile money in a heap,
And let the stream of life run through my brain and be forgot.
If I did, I might be happier. I might—and I might not.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 40 sec read
- 29 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XXXA BBAA CCDD |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 672 |
Words | 132 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4 |
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"I Might-and I Might Not" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/14540/i-might-and-i-might-not>.
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