The Dilettante: A Modern Type

Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906



HE scribbles some in prose and verse,
And now and then he prints it;
He paints a little, — gathers some
Of Nature's gold and mints it.
He plays a little, sings a song,
Acts tragic roles, or funny;
He does, because his love is strong,
But not, oh, not for money!
He studies almost everything
From social art to science;
A thirsty mind, a flowing spring,
Demand and swift compliance.
He looms above the sordid crowd —
At least through friendly lenses;
While his mamma looks pleased and proud,
And kindly pays expenses.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 27, 2023

29 sec read
224

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCBDEDEFGFGHIHI
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 513
Words 96
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 16

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar was a seminal American poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries Dunbar gained national recognition for his 1896 Lyrics of a Lowly Life one poem in the collection being Ode to Ethiopia more…

All Paul Laurence Dunbar poems | Paul Laurence Dunbar Books

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