The Last Question: (For B. A. Bingham)



They lifted up his weary head,
Stained with a dark and bitter dew:
'How does the battle go?' he said.

Sir, it is victory,' -- when he heard
He smiled the darkening shadows through
And died as blithe as a singing bird.

On the stained grass as on a bed
Dying he lay and well content --
'Sir, it is victory,' they said.

So smiling, smiling all the way,
To the undying Dead he went
As to a heavenly holiday.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

24 sec read
310

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABA CBC ADA EDE
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 400
Words 85
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 3, 3, 3, 3

Katharine Tynan

Katharine Tynan was an Irish-born writer, known mainly for her novels and poetry. more…

All Katharine Tynan poems | Katharine Tynan Books

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