The Forest Greeting
Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906
GOOD hunting! — aye, good hunting,
Wherever the forests call;
But ever a heart beats hot with fear,
And what of the birds that fall?
Good hunting! — aye, good hunting,
Wherever the north winds blow;
But what of the stag that calls for his mate?
And what of the wounded doe?
Good hunting! — aye, good hunting,
And ah! we are bold and strong;
But our triumph call through the forest hall
Is a brother's funeral song.
For we are brothers ever,
Panther and bird and bear;
Man and the weakest that fear his face,
Born to the nest or lair.
Yes, brothers, and who shall judge us?
Hunters and game are we;
But who gave the right for me to smite?
Who boasts when he smiteth me?
Good hunting! — aye, good hunting,
And dim is the forest track;
But the sportsman Death comes striding on:
Brothers, the way is black.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 22, 2023
- 46 sec read
- 146 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AbcbAdedAfbfghihjkekAlml |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 796 |
Words | 155 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 24 |
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"The Forest Greeting" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/28900/the-forest-greeting>.
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