An Augury

Ambrose Bierce 1842 (Meigs County) – 1914 (Chihuahua)



Upon my desk a single spray,
With starry blossoms fraught.
I write in many an idle way,
Thinking one serious thought.

'O flowers, a fine Greek name ye bear,
And with a fine Greek grace.'
Be still, O heart, that turns to share
The sunshine of a face.

'Have ye no messages-no brief,
Still sign: 'Despair', or 'Hope'?'
A sudden stir of stem and leaf-
A breath of heliotrope!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

21 sec read
347

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 368
Words 73
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist. more…

All Ambrose Bierce poems | Ambrose Bierce Books

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