Chiding

David Bates 1809 (Indian Hill) – 1870



Reproach will seldom mend the young,
     If they are left to need it;
The breath of love must stir the tongue,
     If you would have them heed it.

How oft we see a child caressed
     For little faults and failings,
Which should have been at first suppressed
    To save the after railings!

If, when the heart would go astray,
    You would the passion smother,
You must not tear the charm away,
    But substitute another.

Thus it is pleasant to be led,
    If he who leads will measure
The heart's affection by the head,
    And make pursuit a pleasure.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
132

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GFGF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 550
Words 100
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

David Bates

David Bates was an American poet. He was born in Indian Hill, Ohio, and educated in Buffalo, New York, before working in first Indianapolis then Philadelphia. In 1849, he published a volume of poetry, Eolian. Among his best-known works are Speak Gently, Chiding, and Childhood. more…

All David Bates poems | David Bates Books

1 fan

Discuss the poem Chiding with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Chiding" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/7797/chiding>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    David Bates

    »

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    6
    hours
    10
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    And miles to go before I _______
    A dream
    B rest
    C sleep
    D end