Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE LAST PROOF; AN EPILOGUE TO ANY PROOF, by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Finis at last - the end, the end, the end!' Last Line: To-morrow to fresh woods, and pastures new.' Alternate Author Name(s): Dobson, Austin Subject(s): Books; Reading | ||||||||
'Finissons. Mais demain, Muse, a recommencer.' -- BOILEAU. 'FINIS at last -- the end, the End, the END! No more of paragraphs to prune or mend; No more blue pencil, with its ruthless line, To blot the phrase "particularly fine"; No more of "slips," and "galleys," and "revises," Of words "transmogrified," and "wild surmises"; No more of n's that masquerade as u's, No nice perplexities of p's and q's; No more mishaps of ante and of post, That most mislead when they should help the most; No more of "friend" as "fiend," and "warm" as "worm"; No more negations where we would affirm; No more of those mysterious freaks of fate That make us bless when we should execrate; No more of those last blunders that remain Where we no more can set them right again: No more apologies for doubtful data; No more fresh facts that figure as Errata; No more, in short, O TYPE, of wayward lore From thy most un-Pierian fount -- NO MORE!' So spoke PAPYRIUS. Yet his hand meanwhile Went vaguely seeking for the vacant file, Late stored with long array of notes, but now Bare-wired and barren as a leafless bough; -- And even as he spoke, his mind began Again to scheme, to purpose and to plan. There is no end to Labour 'neath the sun; There is no end of labouring -- but One; And though we 'twitch [or not] our Mantle blue,' 'To-morrow to fresh Woods, and Pastures new.' | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TWO SONNETS: 1 by DAVID LEHMAN THE ILLUSTRATION?ÇÖA FOOTNOTE by DENISE LEVERTOV FALLING ASLEEP OVER THE AENEID by ROBERT LOWELL POETRY MACHINES by CATE MARVIN LENDING LIBRARY by PHYLLIS MCGINLEY A FANCY FROM FONTENELLE by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON |
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