Life Surveyed
Letitia Elizabeth Landon 1802 (Chelsea) – 1838 (Cape Coast)
Not in a close and bounded atmosphere
Does life put forth its noblest and its best;
'Tis from the mountain's top that we look forth,
And see how small the world is at our feet.
There the free winds sweep with unfettered wing;
There the sun rises first, and flings the last,
The purple glories of the summer eve;
There does the eagle build his mighty nest;
And there the snow stains not its purity.
When we descend, the vapour gathers round,
And the path narrows : small and worthless things
Obstruct our way; and, in ourselves, we feel
The strong compulsion of their influence.
We grow like those with whom we daily blend :
To yield is to resemble.
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Submitted by Madeleine Quinn on July 24, 2016
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 35 sec read
- 37 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABCDEFGBHIJKLMN |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 634 |
Words | 118 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 15 |
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"Life Surveyed" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/45039/life-surveyed>.
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