The Prisoner
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
Upspoke the culprit at the bar,
Conducting his own case:
'Your Lordship, I have gone to far,
But grant me of your grace.
As I was passing by a shop
I saw my arm go out,
And though I begged of it to stop,
It stole beyond a doubt.
'But why should my whole body be
Condemned to dungeon grim,
For what in fact was only the
Transgression of a limb?
So here before the Court I stand,
And beg in Justice' name:
Please penalise my arm and hand,
But not my frame.'
Outspoke the Judge with voice of ice,
Although a smile he hid:
'Quite right! You should not pay the price
For what one member did.
Your reasoning I must admit;
Your arm should gaol expect . . .
Three months! And if you follow it
The Court does not object.'
The culprit smiled with sudden charm,
Then to the Court's dismay,
Quickly removed a wooden arm
And went away.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 48 sec read
- 54 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCDCD XEXEFGFG HIHIJKJK LMLM |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 953 |
Words | 163 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 4 |
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"The Prisoner" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32620/the-prisoner>.
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