Honour

Ada Cambridge 1844 (St Germans, Norfolk) – 1926 (Melbourne)



Me let the world disparage and despise --
   As one unfettered with its gilded chains,
   As one untempted by its sordid gains,
Its pleasant vice, its profitable lies;
Let Justice, blind and halt and maimed, chastise
   The rebel spirit surging in my veins,
   Let the Law deal me penalties and pains
And make me hideous in my neighbours' eyes.

But let me fall not in mine own esteem,
   By poor deceit or selfish greed debased.
   Let me be clean from secret stain and shame,
Know myself true, though false as hell I seem --
   Know myself worthy, howsoe'er disgraced --
   Know myself right, though every tongue should blame.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

33 sec read
143

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBA CDECDE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 635
Words 110
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6

Ada Cambridge

Ada Cambridge, later known as Ada Cross, was an English-born Australian writer. She wrote more than 25 works of fiction, three volumes of poetry and two autobiographical works. Many of her novels were serialised in Australian newspapers but never published in book form. While she was known to friends and family by her married name, Ada Cross, her newspaper readers knew her as A. C.. She later reverted to her maiden name, Ada Cambridge, and that is how she is known today.  more…

All Ada Cambridge poems | Ada Cambridge Books

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