The Ancient Elf
James Stephens 1882 (Dublin) – 1950
I am the maker,
The builder, the breaker,
The eagle-winged helper,
The speedy forsaker!
The lance and the lyre,
The water, the fire,
The tooth of oppression,
The lip of desire!
The snare and the wing,
They honey, the sting!
When you seek for me--look
For a different thing!
I, careless and gay,
Never mean what I say,
For my thoughts and my eyes
Look the opposite way!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 14, 2023
- 21 sec read
- 386 Views
Quick analysis:
| Scheme | AAAA XAXA BBXB CCXC |
|---|---|
| Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
| Characters | 361 |
| Words | 70 |
| Stanzas | 4 |
| Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"The Ancient Elf" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 4 Oct. 2023. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/20523/the-ancient-elf>.
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