Richard Bone
Edgar Lee Masters 1868 (Garnett) – 1950 (Elkins Park)
When I first came to Spoon River
I did not know whether what they told me
Was true or false.
They would bring me an epitaph
And stand around the shop while I worked
And say "He was so kind," "He was wonderful,"
"She was the sweetest woman," "He was a consistent Christian."
And I chiseled for them whatever they wished,
All in ignorance of its truth.
But later, as I lived among the people here,
I knew how near to the life
Were the epitaphs that were ordered for them when they died.
But still I chiseled whatever they paid me to chisel
And made myself party to the false chronicles
Of the stones,
Even as the historian does who writes
Without knowing the truth,
Or because he is influenced to hide it.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 40 sec read
- 301 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABCDEFGHIJKLFMNOIP |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 711 |
Words | 140 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 18 |
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"Richard Bone" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Sep. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/8696/richard-bone>.
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