Successful Failure
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
I wonder if successful men
Are always happy?
And do they sing with gusto when
Springtime is sappy?
Although I am of snow-white hair
And nighly mortal,
Each time I sniff the April air
I chortle.
I wonder if a millionaire
Jigs with enjoyment,
Having such heaps of time to spare
For daft employment.
For as I dance the Highland Fling
My glee is muckle,
And doping out new songs to sing
I chuckle.
I wonder why so soon forgot
Are fame and riches;
Let cottage comfort be my lot
With well-worn britches.
As in a pub a poor unknown,
Brown ale quaffing,
To think of all I'll never own,--
I'm laughing.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 25, 2023
- 35 sec read
- 92 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCDCD CECEFDFD GHGHIFIF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 728 |
Words | 115 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
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"Successful Failure" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32457/successful-failure>.
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