Slowly the Black Earth Gains

George Santayana 1863 (Madrid) – 1952 (Rome)



Slowly the black earth gains upon the yellow,
And the caked hill-side is ribbed soft with furrows.
Turn now again, with voice and staff, my ploughman,
Guiding thy oxen.

Lift the great ploughshare, clear the stones and brambles,
Plant it the deeper, with thy foot upon it,
Uprooting all the flowering weeds that bring not
Food to thy children.

Patience is good for man and beast, and labour
Hardens to sorrow and the frost of winter.
Turn then again, in the brave hope of harvest,
Singing to heaven.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

27 sec read
75

Quick analysis:

Scheme XABB AXXB XXXB
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 504
Words 90
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

George Santayana

Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás, known as George Santayana, was a philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist. more…

All George Santayana poems | George Santayana Books

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