Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, QUINTESSENCE OF ALL THE DACTYLICS, by WILLIAM GIFFORD


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

QUINTESSENCE OF ALL THE DACTYLICS, by                 Poet Analysis    
First Line: Wearisome sonneteer, feeble and querulous
Last Line: "dactylics, call;st thou 'em? -- ""god help thee, silly one!"
Subject(s): Sonnet (as Literary Form); Southey, Robert (1774-1843)


Wearisome sonneteer, feeble and querulous,
Painfully dragging out thy demo-cratic lays --
Moon-stricken sonneteer, "ah! for thy heavy chance!"

Sorely thy dactylics lag on uneven feet:
Slow is the syllable which thou would'st urge to speed,
Lame and o'erburden'd, and "screaming its wretchedness!"

Ne'er talk of ears again! look at thy spelling-book;
Dilworth and Dyche are both mad at thy quantities --
Dactylics, call;st thou 'em? -- "God help thee, silly one!"





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