The Politician
William Wilfred Campbell 1860 (Newmarket) – 1918 (Ottawa)
Carven in leathern mask or brazen face,
Were I time's sculptor, I would set this man.
Retreating from the truth, his hawk-eyes scan
The platforms of all public thought for place.
There wriggling with insinuating grace,
He takes poor hope and effort by the hand,
And flatters with half-truths and accents bland,
Till even zeal and earnest love grow base.
Knowing no right, save power's grim right-of-way;
No nobleness, save life's ignoble praise;
No future, save this sordid day to day;
He is the curse of these material days:
Juggling with mighty wrongs and mightier lies,
This worshipper of Dagon and his flies!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 32 sec read
- 68 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBAACCA DEDEFF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 680 |
Words | 105 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 6 |
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"The Politician" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/42103/the-politician>.
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