A Drunken Man's Praise Of Sobriety

William Butler Yeats 1865 (Sandymount) – 1939 (Menton)



COME swish around, my pretty punk,
And keep me dancing still
That I may stay a sober man
Although I drink my fill.

Sobriety is a jewel
That I do much adore;
And therefore keep me dancing
Though drunkards lie and snore.
O mind your feet, O mind your feet,
Keep dancing like a wave,
And under every dancer
A dead man in his grave.
No ups and downs, my pretty,
A mermaid, not a punk;
A drunkard is a dead man,
And all dead men are drunk.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 09, 2023

27 sec read
499

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCB XDXDXEXEXACA
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 427
Words 90
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 4, 12

William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. more…

All William Butler Yeats poems | William Butler Yeats Books

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