Ignis Fatuus

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



Weep, weep, each loyal partisan,
For Buckley, king of hearts;
A most accomplished man; a man
Of parts-of foreign parts.

Long years he ruled with gentle sway,
Nor grew his glory dim;
And he would be with us to-day
If we were but with him.

Men wondered at his going off
In such a sudden way;
'Twas thought, as he had come to scoff
He would remain to prey.

Since he is gone we're all agreed
That he is what men call
A crook: his very steps, indeed,
Are bent-to Montreal.

So let our tears unhindered flow,
Our sighs and groans have way:
It matters not how much we Oh!
The devil is to pay.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 03, 2023

35 sec read
76

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXA BCBC DBDB EFEF GBGB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 573
Words 117
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

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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