Range-Finding

Robert Frost 1874 (San Francisco) – 1963 (Boston)



The battle rent a cobweb diamond-strung
And cut a flower beside a ground bird's nest
Before it stained a single human breast.
The stricken flower bent double and so hung.
And still the bird revisited her young.
A butterfly its fall had dispossessed
A moment sought in air his flower of rest,
Then lightly stooped to it and fluttering clung.

On the bare upland pasture there had spread
O'ernight 'twixt mullein stalks a wheel of thread
And straining cables wet with silver dew.
A sudden passing bullet shook it dry.
The indwelling spider ran to greet the fly,
But finding nothing, sullenly withdrew.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

32 sec read
245

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBA CCDEED
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 594
Words 105
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6

Robert Frost

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in America. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. more…

All Robert Frost poems | Robert Frost Books

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