A Dead Man

John Boyle O'Reilly 1844 (Dowth) – 1890 (Boston)



Trapper died—our hero—and we grieved;
In every heart in camp the sorrow stirred.
'His soul was red!' the Indian cried, bereaved;
'A white man, he!' the grim old Yankee's word.

So, brief and strong, each mourner gave his best—
How kind he was, how brave, how keen to track;
And as we laid him by the pines to rest,
A negro spoke, with tears: 'His heart was black!'

''Island of Destiny! Innisfail! for thy faith is the payment near!
The mine of the future is opened, and the golden veins appear.
Thy hands are white and thy page unstained. Reach out for thy glorious years,
And take them from God as his recompense for thy fortitude and tears.'

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
84

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EEXX
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 654
Words 124
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

John Boyle O'Reilly

John Boyle O'Reilly was an Irish-born poet, journalist and fiction writer. more…

All John Boyle O'Reilly poems | John Boyle O'Reilly Books

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