A Parable

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 (Frankfurt) – 1832 (Weimar)



I PICKED a rustic nosegay lately,
And bore it homewards, musing greatly;
When, heated by my hand, I found
The heads all drooping tow'rd the ground.
I plac'd them in a well-cool'd glass,
And what a wonder came to pass
The heads soon raised themselves once more.
The stalks were blooming as before,
And all were in as good a case
As when they left their native place.

                     

So felt I, when I wond'ring heard
My song to foreign tongues transferr'd.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 28, 2023

26 sec read
465

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDDEE FF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 457
Words 83
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 10, 2

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer and politician. more…

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