The Disciple
Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)
He that hath a Gospel
To loose upon Mankind,
Though he serve it utterly--
Body, soul and mind--
Though he go to Calvary
Daily for its gain--
It is His Disciple
Shall make his labour vain.
He that hath a Gospel
For all earth to own--
Though he etch it on the steel,
Or carve it on the stone--
Not to be misdoubted
Through the after-days--
It is His Disciple
Shall read it many ways.
It is His Disciple
(Ere Those Bones are dust )
Who shall change the Charter,
Who shall split the Trust--
Amplify distinctions,
Rationalize the Claim;
Preaching that the Master
Would have done the same.
It is His Disciple
Who shall tell us how
Much the Master would have scrapped
Had he lived till now--
What he would have modified
Of what he said before.
It is His Disciple
Shall do this and more....
He that hath a Gospel
Whereby Heaven is won
( Carpenter, or cameleer,
Or Maya's dreaming son ),
Many swords shall pierce Him,
Mingling blood with gall;
But His Own Disciple
Shall wound Him worst of all!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 26, 2023
- 56 sec read
- 301 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AbcbcdAd AexebfAf Aghgxihi AjxjxkAk Alhlxmam |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 954 |
Words | 187 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
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"The Disciple" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/33412/the-disciple>.
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