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

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF FXFB
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 621
Words 126
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively. more…

All James Whitcomb Riley poems | James Whitcomb Riley Books

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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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    The repetition of vowel sounds is an example of _______.
    A assonance
    B rhyme
    C repetition
    D rhythm