The Path
Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906
THERE are no beaten paths to Glory's height,
There are no rules to compass greatness known;
Each for himself must cleave a path alone,
And press his own way forward in the fight.
Smooth is the way to ease and calm delight,
And soft the road Sloth chooseth for her own;
But he who craves the flower of life full-blown,
Must struggle up in all his armor dight!
What though the burden bear him sorely down
And crush to dust the mountain of his pride,
Oh, then, with strong heart let him still abide;
For rugged is the roadway to renown,
Nor may he hope to gain the envied crown
Till he hath thrust the looming rocks aside.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 36 sec read
- 73 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBAABBACDDCCD |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 615 |
Words | 120 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"The Path" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/28931/the-path>.
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