Plain Sermons
James Whitcomb Riley 1849 (Greenfield) – 1916 (Indianapolis)
I saw a man--and envied him beside--
Because of this world's goods he had great store;
But even as I envied him, he died,
And left me envious of him no more.
I saw another man--and envied still--
Because he was content with frugal lot;
But as I envied him, the rich man's will
Bequeathed him all, and envy I forgot.
Yet still another man I saw, and he
I envied for a calm and tranquil mind
That nothing fretted in the least degree--
Until, alas! I found that he was blind.
What vanity is envy! for I find
I have been rich in dross of thought, and poor
In that I was a fool, and lastly blind
For never having seen myself before!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 38 sec read
- 51 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EFEF FXFB |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 621 |
Words | 126 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Plain Sermons" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 Oct. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/21007/plain-sermons>.
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