Tennessee Claflin Shope

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



I was the laughing-stock of the village,
Chiefly of the people of good sense, as they call themselves --
Also of the learned, like Rev. Peet, who read Greek
The same as English.
For instead of talking free trade,
Or preaching some form of baptism;
Instead of believing in the efficacy
Of walking cracks -- picking up pins the right way,
Seeing the new moon over the right shoulder,
Or curing rheumatism with blue glass,
I asserted the sovereignty of my own soul.
Before Mary Baker G. Eddy even got started
With what she called science
I had mastered the "Bhagavad Gita,"
And cured my soul, before Mary
Began to cure bodies with souls --
Peace to all worlds!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

36 sec read
141

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCDEFGHIJKLMEGNO
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 649
Words 122
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 17

Edgar Lee Masters

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

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