The Heritage
Siegfried Sassoon 1886 (Matfield) – 1967 (Heytesbury)
Cry out on Time that he may take away
Your cold philosophies that give no hint
Of spirit-quickened flesh; fall down and pray
That Death come never with a face of flint:
Death is our heritage; with Life we share
The sunlight that must own his darkening hour:
Within his very presence yet we dare
To gather gladness like a fading flower.
For even as this, our joy not long may live
Perfect; and most in change the heart can trace
The miracle of life and human things:
All we have held to destiny we give;
Dawn glimmers on the soul-forsaken face;
Not we, but others, hear the bird that sings.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 26, 2023
- 33 sec read
- 271 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCDCD XEFXEF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 595 |
Words | 113 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 6 |
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"The Heritage" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/34948/the-heritage>.
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