Untimely

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



Nothing in life has been made by man for man's using
But it was shown long since to man in ages
Lost as the name of the maker of it,
Who received oppression and shame for his wages--
Hate, avoidance, and scorn in his daily dealings--
Until he perished, wholly confounded

More to be pitied than he are the wise
Souls which foresaw the evil of loosing
Knowledge or Art before time, and aborted
Noble devices and deep-wrought healings,
Lest offense should arise.

Heaven delivers on earth the Hour that cannot be
  thwarted,
Neither advanced, at the price of a world nor a soul,
  and its Prophet
Comes through the blood of the vanguards who
  dreamed--too soon--it had sounded.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 30, 2023

36 sec read
74

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABXBXC DACBD XEXXXE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 666
Words 121
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 6, 5, 6

Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist chiefly remembered for his tales and poems of British soldiers in India and his tales for children. more…

All Rudyard Kipling poems | Rudyard Kipling Books

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