Imitation of The Olden Poets

Edward Lear 1812 (Holloway) – 1888 (Sanremo)



Time is a taper waning fast!
Use it, man, well whilst it doth last:
Lest burning downwards it consume away,
Before thou hast commenced the labour of the day.

Time is a pardon of a goodly soil!
Plenty shall crown thine honest toil:
But if uncultivated, rankest weeds
Shall choke the efforts of the rising seeds.

Time is a leasehold of uncertain date!
Granted to thee by everlasting fate.
Neglect not thou, ere thy short term expire,
To save thy soul from ever-burning fire.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

25 sec read
389

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB CCDD EEXX
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 469
Words 86
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

Edward Lear

Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, author and poet, and is known now mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised. more…

All Edward Lear poems | Edward Lear Books

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