An Undress Uniform

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



The apparel does _not_ proclaim the man
Polonius lied like a partisan,
And Salomon still would a hero seem
If (Heaven dispel the impossible dream!)
He stood in a shroud on the hangman's trap,
His eye burning holes in the black, black cap.
And the crowd below would exclaim amain:
'He's ready to fall for his country again!'

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

18 sec read
61

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCCDDAE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 324
Words 62
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 8

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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    "An Undress Uniform" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/1707/an-undress-uniform>.

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    Quiz

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    What is the term for the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
    A Dithyramb
    B Line break
    C A turn
    D Enjambment