The Past

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



I fling the past behind me, like a robe
Worn threadbare at the seams, and out of date.
I have outgrown it. Wherefore should I weep
And dwell upon its beauty, and its dyes
Of oriental splendor, or complain
That I must needs discard it? I can weave
Upon the shuttles of the future years
A fabric far more durable. Subdued,
It may be, in the blending of its hues,
Where somber shades commingle, yet the gleam
Of golden warp shall shoot it through and through,
While over all a fadeless luster lies,
And starred with gems made out of crystalled tears,
My new robe shall be richer than the old.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
111

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCDEFGHIJKDLM
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 597
Words 113
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. more…

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