The Owl
Edward Thomas 1878 (London Borough of Lambeth) – 1917 (Pas-de-Calais)
DOWNHILL I came, hungry, and yet not starved,
Cold, yet had heat within me that was proof
Against the north wind; tired, yet so that rest
Had seemed the sweetest thing under a roof.
Then at the inn I had food, fire, and rest,
Knowing how hungry, cold, and tired was I.
All of the night was quite barred out except
An owl's cry, a most melancholy cry.
Shaken out long and clear upon the hill
No merry note, nor cause of merriment,
But one telling me plain what I escaped
And others could not, that night, as in I went.
And salted was my food, and my repose,
Salted and sobered too, by the bird's voice
Speaking for all who lay under the stars,
Soldiers and poor, unable to rejoice.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 28, 2023
- 40 sec read
- 119 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABCB CDXD XAXX XEXE |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 685 |
Words | 133 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"The Owl" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/9901/the-owl>.
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