Why should I, from this long and losing strife

Alfred Austin 1835 (Leeds) – 1913 (Ashford)



Why should I, from this long and losing strife
When summoned to depart, halt half-afraid?
Death is full quittance for the debts of life,
Discharging the account, though still unpaid.
Who is it that can say he still hath met
Friendship's just claim and Duty's punctual call?
How little do we give for what we get,
And but for Death we should be bankrupts all!
For loan of life the richest but compound,
Love's priceless gift we but repay in part;
Beggared and bare our balance would be found,
If all we owe were honoured by the heart.
Die, and the lenders our default forget,
Nay, though defrauded, then deem theirs the debt.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
79

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCDCDEFEFCC
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 619
Words 115
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

Alfred Austin

Alfred Austin DL was an English poet who was appointed Poet Laureate in 1896 upon the death of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. more…

All Alfred Austin poems | Alfred Austin Books

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