After

Robert Browning 1812 (Camberwell) – 1889 (Venice)



Take the cloak from his face, and at first
  Let the corpse do its worst!

How he lies in his rights of a man!
  Death has done all death can.
And, absorbed in the new life he leads,
  He recks not, he heeds
Nor his wrong nor my vengeance; both strike
  On his senses alike,
And are lost in the solemn and strange
  Surprise of the change.
Ha, what avails death to erase
  His offence, my disgrace?
I would we were boys as of old
  In the field, by the fold:
His outrage, God's patience, man's scorn
  Were so easily borne!

I stand here now, he lies in his place:
  Cover the face!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 07, 2023

35 sec read
149

Quick analysis:

Scheme AA BBCCDDEEFFGGHH FF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 571
Words 115
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 2, 14, 2

Robert Browning

Robert Browning was the father of poet Robert Browning. more…

All Robert Browning poems | Robert Browning Books

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    "After" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/30314/after>.

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