Calvin Campbell

Edgar Lee Masters 1868 (Garnett) – 1950 (Elkins Park)



Ye who are kicking against Fate,
Tell me how it is that on this hill-side,
Running down to the river,
Which fronts the sun and the south-wind,
This plant draws from the air and soil
Poison and becomes poison ivy?
And this plant draws from the same air and soil
Sweet elixirs and colors and becomes arbutus?
And both flourish?
You may blame Spoon River for what it is,
But whom do you blame for the will in you
That feeds itself and makes you dock-weed,
Jimpson, dandelion or mullen
And which can never use any soil or air
So as to make you jessamine or wistaria?

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

32 sec read
106

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCDEFEGHGIJKLC
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 556
Words 109
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 15

Edgar Lee Masters

Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, biographer, and dramatist. more…

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