Work
Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806 (Kelloe) – 1861 (Florence)
WHAT are we set on earth for ? Say, to toil;
Nor seek to leave thy tending of the vines
For all the heat o' the day, till it declines,
And Death's mild curfew shall from work assoil.
God did anoint thee with his odorous oil,
To wrestle, not to reign; and He assigns
All thy tears over, like pure crystallines,
For younger fellow-workers of the soil
To wear for amulets. So others shall
Take patience, labor, to their heart and hand
From thy hand and thy heart and thy brave cheer,
And God's grace fructify through thee to
The least flower with a brimming cup may stand,
And share its dew-drop with another near.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 07, 2023
- 35 sec read
- 162 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBAABBACDEFDE |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 606 |
Words | 116 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"Work" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/10413/work>.
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