The Useless Ones
John Boyle O'Reilly 1844 (Dowth) – 1890 (Boston)
Poets should not reason:
Let them sing!
Argument is treason —
Bells should ring.
Statements none, nor questions;
Gnomic words.
Spirit-cries, suggestions,
Like the birds.
He may use deduction
Who must preach;
He may praise instruction
Who must teach;
But the poet duly
Fills his part
When the song bursts truly
From his heart.
For no purpose springing;
For no pelf:
He must do the singing
For itself.
Not in lines austerely
Let him build;
Not the surface merely
Let him gild.
Fearless, uninvited,
Like a spring.
Opal-words, inlighted,
Let him sing.
As the leaf grows sunward
Song must grow;
As the stream flows onward
Song must flow.
Useless? Ay, — for measure;
Roses die,
But their breath gives pleasure —
God knows why!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 23, 2023
- 37 sec read
- 41 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CDCD AEAE FGFG BHBH FIFI XBGB JKJK LMLM |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic dimeter |
Characters | 699 |
Words | 126 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"The Useless Ones" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/22083/the-useless-ones>.
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