The Latest Decalogue

Arthur Hugh Clough 1819 (Liverpool) – 1861 (Florence)



Thou shalt have one God only; who
Would be at the expense of two?
No graven images may be
Worshipp'd, except the currency:
Swear not at all; for, for thy curse
Thine enemy is none the worse:
At church on Sunday to attend
Will serve to keep the world thy friend:
Honour thy parents; that is, all
From whom advancement may befall:
Thou shalt not kill; but need'st not strive
Officiously to keep alive:
Do not adultery commit;
Advantage rarely comes of it:
Thou shalt not steal; an empty feat,
When it's so lucrative to cheat:
Bear not false witness; let the lie
Have time on its own wings to fly:
Thou shalt not covet; but tradition
Approves all forms of competition.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 21, 2023

38 sec read
172

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 654
Words 124
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 20

Arthur Hugh Clough

Arthur Hugh Clough was an English poet, an educationalist, and the devoted assistant to ground-breaking nurse Florence Nightingale. more…

All Arthur Hugh Clough poems | Arthur Hugh Clough Books

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    "The Latest Decalogue" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/3898/the-latest-decalogue>.

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