Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE KING'S JEWEL, by PHOEBE CARY Poet's Biography First Line: Twas a night to make the bravest Last Line: "and he hath delivered thee!" Subject(s): Jewelry & Jewelers; Russia; Warsaw, Poland; Rings; Bracelets; Necklaces; Soviet Union; Russians | ||||||||
'T WAS a night to make the bravest Shrink from the tempest's breath, For the winter snows were bitter, And the winds were cruel as death. All day on the roofs of Warsaw IIad the white storm sifted down Till it almost hid the humble huts Of the poor outside the town. And it beat upon one low cottage With a sort of reckless spite, As if to add to their wretchedness Who sat by its hearth that night; Where Dorby, the Polish peasant, Took his pale wife by the hand, And told her that when the morrow came They would have no home in the land. No human hand would aid him With the rent that was due at morn; And his cold, hard-hearted landlord Had spurned his prayers with scorn. Then the poor man took his Bible, And read, while his eyes grew dim, To see if any comfort Were written there for him; When he suddenly heard a knocking On the casement, soft and light: It wasn't the storm; but what else could be Abroad in such a night? Then he went and opened the window, But for wonder scarce could speak, As a bird flew in with a jewelled ring Held flashing in his beak. "'T is the bird I trained," said Dorby, "And that is the precious ring That once I saw on the royal hand Of our good and gracious king. "And if birds, as our lesson tells us, Once came with food to men, Who knows," said the foolish peasant, "But they might be sent again!" So he hopefullly went with the morning, And knocked at the palace gate, And gave to the king the jewel They had searched for long and late. And when he had heard the story Which the peasant had to tell, He gave him a fruitful garden, And a home wherein to dwell. And Dorby wrote o'er the doorway These words that all might see: "Thou hast called on the Lord in trouble, And he hath delivered thee!" | Discover our poem explanations - click here!Other Poems of Interest...OXOTA: A SHORT RUSSIAN NOVEL: CHAPTER 80 by LYN HEJINIAN OXOTA: A SHORT RUSSIAN NOVEL: CHAPTER 259 by LYN HEJINIAN A FOREIGN COUNTRY by JOSEPHINE MILES THE DIAMOND PERSONA by NORMAN DUBIE IN MEMORIAM: 1933 (7. RUSSIA: ANNO 1905) by CHARLES REZNIKOFF TAKE A LETTER TO DMITRI SHOSTAKOVITCH by CARL SANDBURG READING THE RUSSIANS by RUTH STONE THE SOVIET CIRCUS VISITS HAVANA, 1969 by VIRGIL SUAREZ A PROBLEM IN AESTHETICS by KAREN SWENSON |
|