A Border Ballad
Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906
OH, I haven't got long to live, for we all
Die soon, e'en those who live longest;
And the poorest and weakest are taking their chance
Along with the richest and strongest.
So it's heigho for a glass and a song,
And a bright eye over the table,
And a dog for the hunt when the game is flush.
And the pick of a gentleman's stable.
There is Dimmock o' Dune, he was here yesternight,
But he's rotting to-day on Glen Arragh;
'Twas the hand o' MacPherson that gave him the blow,
And the vultures shall feast on his marrow.
But it's heigho for a brave old song
And a glass while we are able;
Here's a health to death and another cup
To the bright eye over the table.
I can show a broad back and a jolly deep chest,
But who argues now on appearance?
A blow or a thrust or a stumble at best
May send me to-day to my clearance.
Then it's heigho for the things I love,
My mother'll be soon wearing sable,
But give me my horse and my dog and my glass,
And a bright eye over the table.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 11, 2023
- 1:02 min read
- 59 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | abcbdEfebghhdeiejkjkgelE |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 957 |
Words | 198 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 24 |
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"A Border Ballad" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/28595/a-border-ballad>.
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