The Search
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
I bought a young and lovely bride,
Paying her father gold;
Lamblike she rested by my side,
As cold as ice is cold.
No love in her could I awake,
Even for pity's sake.
I bought rich books I could not read,
And pictures proud and rare;
Reproachfully they seemed to plead
And hunger for my care;
But to their beauty I was blind,
Even as is a hind.
The bearded merchants heard my cry:
'I'll give all I posses
If only, only I can buy
A little happiness.'
Alas! I sought without avail:
They had not that for sale.
I gave my riches to the poor
And dared the desert lone;
Now of God's heaven I am sure
Though I am rag and bone . . .
Aye, richer than the Aga Khan,
At last--a happy man.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 42 sec read
- 101 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCC XDXDEE FXFXGG XHXHXX |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 782 |
Words | 138 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6 |
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"The Search" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32640/the-search>.
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