The House of Life: 72. The Choice, II
Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1828 (London) – 1882 (Birchington-on-Sea)
Watch thou and fear; to-morrow thou shalt die.
Or art thou sure thou shalt have time for death?
Is not the day which God's word promiseth
To come man knows not when? In yonder sky
Now while we speak, the sun speeds forth: can I
Or thou assure him of his goal? God's breath
Even at this moment haply quickeneth
The air to a flame; till spirits, always nigh
Though screen'd and hid, shall walk the daylight here.
And dost thou prate of all that man shall do?
Canst thou, who hast but plagues, presume to be
Glad in his gladness that comes after thee?
Will his strength slay thy worm in Hell? Go to:
Cover thy countenance, and watch, and fear.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 38 sec read
- 80 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBAABBA XCDDCX |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 717 |
Words | 124 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 6 |
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"The House of Life: 72. The Choice, II" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Sep. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/7737/the-house-of-life:-72.-the-choice,-ii>.
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