Campus Sonnets: Before An Examination

Stephen Vincent Benet 1898 (Bethlehem) – 1943 (New York City)



The little letters dance across the page,
Flaunt and retire, and trick the tired eyes;
Sick of the strain, the glaring light, I rise
Yawning and stretching, full of empty rage
At the dull maunderings of a long dead sage,
Fling up the windows, fling aside his lies;
Choosing to breathe, not stifle and be wise,
And let the air pour in upon my cage.

The breeze blows cool and there are stars and stars
Beyond the dark, soft masses of the elms
That whisper things in windy tones and light.
They seem to wheel for dim, celestial wars;
And I - I hear the clash of silver helms
Ring icy-clear from the far deeps of night.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
67

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBA XCDXCD
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 623
Words 119
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6

Stephen Vincent Benet

Stephen Vincent Benét was an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist. more…

All Stephen Vincent Benet poems | Stephen Vincent Benet Books

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    "Campus Sonnets: Before An Examination" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/35784/campus-sonnets:-before-an-examination>.

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