The Heart of a Boy

Katharine Tynan 1861 (Ireland) – 1931



To Mrs. Guy Wyndham

The heart of a boy is full of light,
Naked of self, quite pure and clean,
No shadows lurk in it: it is bright
Where God Himself hath been.

I looked in a boy's heart and saw
How its desire was white desire,
Burning upward, as winds might draw
The flame of a candle higher.

What was the heart's desire that burned
Like a white candle stirred in a breeze?
Power or glory or honour earned?
Love that is more than these?

The heart of a boy has but one goal.
The flying Danger smiles as she flies,
Makes her own of him, heart and soul,
With the lure of her lovely eyes.

The boy's heart now is set on a star,
A sword for the weak against the strong,
A young knight riding forth to the War
Who dies to right the wrong.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

45 sec read
108

Quick analysis:

Scheme X AXAX BCBC DEDE FGFG XHXH
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 718
Words 150
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Katharine Tynan

Katharine Tynan was an Irish-born writer, known mainly for her novels and poetry. more…

All Katharine Tynan poems | Katharine Tynan Books

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