An Epitaph [Hangman's hands laid in this tomb an]

Ambrose Bierce 1842 (Meigs County) – 1914 (Chihuahua)



Hangman's hands laid in this tomb an
Imp of Satan's getting, whom an
Ancient legend says that woman
Never bore-he owed his birth
To Sin herself. From Hell to Earth
She brought the brat in secret state
And laid him at the Golden gate,
And they named him Henry Vrooman.
While with mortals here he stayed,
His father frequently he played.
Raised his birth-place and in other
Playful ways begot his mother.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

22 sec read
392

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABCCDDBEEFF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 399
Words 74
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 12

Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist. more…

All Ambrose Bierce poems | Ambrose Bierce Books

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