Resolutions
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
Each New Year's Eve I used to brood
On my misdoings of the past,
And vowed: "This year I'll be so good -
Well, haply better than the last."
My record of reforms I read
To Mum who listened sweetly to it:
"Why plan all this, my son?" she said;
"Just do it."
Of her wise words I've often thought -
Aye, sometimes with a pang of pain,
When resolutions come to naught,
And high resolves are sadly vain;
The human heart from failure bleeds;
Hopes may be wrecked so that we rue them . . .
Don't let us dream of lovely deeds -
Just do them.
And so, my son, uphold your pride.
Believe serenely in your soul.
Just take things in a steady stride,
Until behold! you've gained your goal.
But if, perchance, you frame a plan
Of conduct, let it be a free one:
Don't try to make yourself a man -
Just be one.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 49 sec read
- 99 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XAXABCBC DEDEFGFG HIHIJKJK |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 801 |
Words | 161 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
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"Resolutions" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32396/resolutions>.
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