Cardiac
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
A mattock high he swung;
I watched him at his toil;
With never gulp of lung
He gashed the ruddy soil.
Thought I, I'd give my wealth
To have his health.
With fortune I would part,
And privilege resign,
Could I but have his heart,
And he have mine . . .
Then suddenly I knew
My wish was true.
Like him I swung: with awe
He marked my steady breath.
Then suddenly I saw
That he was sick to death.
My heart in him was frail
And seemed to fail.
Said I: 'Take back your heart
And I will bear with mine.
Poor lad! All wealth apart
'Tis murder I design,
Not all a Nabob's wealth
Is worth your health.'
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 14, 2023
- 36 sec read
- 130 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCC DEDEFF XGXGHH DEDECC |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 637 |
Words | 121 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6 |
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"Cardiac" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32038/cardiac>.
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