Tom
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
That Tom was poor was sure a pity,
Such guts for learning had the lad;
He took to Greek like babe to titty,
And he was mathematic mad.
I loved to prime him up with knowledge,
A brighter lad I never knew;
I dreamed that he would go to college
And there be honoured too.
But no! His Dad said, "Son, I need you
To keep the kettle on the boil;
No longer can I clothe and feed you,
Buy study books and midnight oil.
I carry on as best I'm able,
A humble tailor, as you know;
And you must squat cross-legged a table
And learn to snip and sew."
And that is what poor Tom is doing.
He bravely makes the best of it;
But as he "fits" you he is knowing
That he himself is a misfit;
And thinks as he fulfils his calling,
With patient heart yet deep distaste,
Like clippings from his shears down-falling,
--He, too, is Waste.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 11, 2023
- 49 sec read
- 43 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABXCXC CDCDEFEF GHGHGIGI |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 887 |
Words | 166 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
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"Tom" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32710/tom>.
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