What the Coal-Heaver Said

Vachel Lindsay 1879 (Springfield) – 1931 (Springfield)



The moon's an open furnace door
Where all can see the blast,
We shovel in our blackest griefs,
Upon that grate are cast
Our aching burdens, loves and fears
And underneath them wait
Paper and tar and pitch and pine
Called strife and blood and hate.

Out of it all there comes a flame,
A splendid widening light.
Sorrow is turned to mystery
And Death into delight.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

21 sec read
358

Quick analysis:

Scheme XABABCXC XDXD
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 358
Words 69
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 4

Vachel Lindsay

Nicholas Vachel Lindsay was an American poet. more…

All Vachel Lindsay poems | Vachel Lindsay Books

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