Old And Young
Francis William Bourdillon 1852 (Runcorn) – 1921
LONG ago, on a bright spring day,
I passed a little child at play;
And as I passed, in childish glee
She called to me, “Come and play with me!”
But my eyes were fixed on a far-off height
I was fain to climb before the night;
So, half-impatient, I answered, “Nay!
I am too old, too old to play.”
Long, long after, in Autumn time—
My limbs were grown too old to climb—
I passed a child on a pleasant lea,
And I called to her, “Come and play with me!”
But her eyes were fixed on a fairy-book;
And scarce she lifted a wondering look,
As with childish scorn she answered, “Nay!
I am too old, too old to play!”
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 14, 2023
- 38 sec read
- 208 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | aabb ccaA ddbb eeaA |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 647 |
Words | 128 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Old And Young" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/13968/old-and-young>.
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