The Blind Boy

Colley Cibber 1671 (Southampton Street, London) – 1757 (Berkeley Square)



O SAY what is that thing call’d Light,  
 Which I must ne’er enjoy;  
What are the blessings of the sight,  
 O tell your poor blind boy!  
 
You talk of wondrous things you see,       
 You say the sun shines bright;  
I feel him warm, but how can he  
 Or make it day or night?  
 
My day or night myself I make  
 Whene’er I sleep or play;        
And could I ever keep awake  
 With me ’twere always day.  
 
With heavy sighs I often hear  
 You mourn my hapless woe;  
But sure with patience I can bear         
 A loss I ne’er can know.  
 
Then let not what I cannot have  
 My cheer of mind destroy:  
Whilst thus I sing, I am a king,  
 Although a poor blind boy.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 21, 2023

38 sec read
268

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CACA DEDE XFXF XBXB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 667
Words 127
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Colley Cibber

Colley Cibber was an English actor-manager, playwright and Poet Laureate. more…

All Colley Cibber poems | Colley Cibber Books

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