The Dance
Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906
Heel and toe, heel and toe,
That is the song we sing;
Turn to your partner and curtsey low,
Balance and forward and swing.
Corners are draughty and meadows are white,
This is the game for a winter's night.
Hands around, hands around,
Trip it, and not too slow;
Clear is the fiddle and sweet its sound,
Keep the girls' cheeks aglow.
Still let your movements be dainty and light,
This is the game for a winter's night.
Back to back, back to back,
Turn to your place again;
Never let lightness nor nimbleness lack,
Either in maidens or men.
Time hasteth ever, beware of its flight,
Oh, what a game for a winter's night!
Slower now, slower now,
Softer the music sighs;
Look, there are beads on your partner's brow
Though there be light in her eyes.
Lead her away and her grace requite,
So goes the game on a winter's night.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 48 sec read
- 106 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ababcC dadacC efefcc ghghac |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 804 |
Words | 155 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6 |
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"The Dance" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/28888/the-dance>.
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