The Penalty
Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)
Once in life I watched a Star;
But I whistled, "Let her go!
There are others, fairer far,
Which my favouring skies shall show
Here I lied, and herein I
Stood to pay the penalty.
Marvellous the Planets shone
As I ranged from coast to coast--
But beyond comparison
Rode the Star that I had lost.
I had lied, and only I
Did not guess the penalty! . . .
When my Heavens were turned to blood,
When the dark had filled my day,
Furthest, but most faithful, stood
That lone Star I cast away.
I had loved myself, and I
Have not lived and dare not die!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 01, 2023
- 32 sec read
- 110 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCD XXXXCD XEXECC |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 534 |
Words | 107 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6 |
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"The Penalty" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/33520/the-penalty>.
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