In Prison

William Morris 1834 (Walthamstow) – 1896 (London)



Wearily, drearily,
Half the day long,
Flap the great banners
High over the stone;
Strangely and eerily
Sounds the wind's song,
Bending the banner-poles.

While, all alone,
Watching the loophole's spark,
Lie I, with life all dark,
Feet tether'd, hands fetter'd
Fast to the stone,
The grim walls, square-letter'd
With prison'd men's groan.

Still strain the banner-poles
Through the wind's song,
Westward the banner rolls
Over my wrong.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

23 sec read
341

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABXCABD CEEFCFC DBDB
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 423
Words 70
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 7, 7, 4

William Morris

William Morris, Mayor of Galway, 1527-28. more…

All William Morris poems | William Morris Books

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