The Haughty Snail-King

Vachel Lindsay 1879 (Springfield) – 1931 (Springfield)



Twelve snails went walking after night.
They'd creep an inch or so,
Then stop and bug their eyes
And blow.
Some folks . . . are . . . deadly . . . slow.
Twelve snails went walking yestereve,
Led by their fat old king.
They were so dull their princeling had
No sceptre, robe or ring—
Only a paper cap to wear
When nightly journeying.

This king-snail said: "I feel a thought
Within. . . . It blossoms soon. . . .
O little courtiers of mine, . . .
I crave a pretty boo. . . .
Oh, yes . . . (High thoughts with effort come
And well-bred snails are ALMOST dumb.)
"I wish I had a yellow crown
As glistering . . . as . . . the moon."

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

32 sec read
140

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXAAXBXBXB XCXXDDXC
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 618
Words 107
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 11, 8

Vachel Lindsay

Nicholas Vachel Lindsay was an American poet. more…

All Vachel Lindsay poems | Vachel Lindsay Books

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