The Court Of Penance

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt 1840 (Petworth House) – 1922 (United Kingdom)



Behold the Court of Penance. Four gaunt walls
Shutting out all things but the upper heaven.
Stone flags for floor, where daily from their stalls
The human cattle in a circle driven
Tread down their pathway to a mire uneven,
Pale--faced, sad--eyed, and mute as funerals.
Woe to the wretch whose weakness unforgiven
Falters a moment in the track or falls!

Yet is there consolation. Overhead
The pigeons build and the loud jackdaws talk,
And once in the wind's eye, like a ship moored,
A sea--gull flew and I was comforted.
Even here the heavens declare thy glory, Lord,
And the free firmament thy handiwork.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

32 sec read
60

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABBXBA XXXXXX
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 600
Words 107
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt was an English poet and writer. more…

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