Ernie Pyle
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
I wish I had a simple style
In writing verse,
As in his prose had Ernie Pyle,
So true and terse;
Springing so forthright from the heart
With guileless art.
I wish I could put back a dram
As Ernie could;
I wish that I could cuss and damn
As soldier should;
And fain with every verse would I
Ernie outvie.
Alas! I cannot claim his high
Humanity;
Nor emulate his pungent, dry
Profanity;
Nor share his love of common folk
Who bear life's yolk.
Oh Ernie, who on earth I knew
In war and wine,
Though frail of fame, in soul how you
Were pure and fine!
I'm proud that once when we were plastered
You called me 'bastard.'
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 37 sec read
- 77 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCC DEDEFX FGFGHH IJIJKK |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 717 |
Words | 123 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6 |
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"Ernie Pyle" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32101/ernie-pyle>.
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