Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A FABLE FOR POETS, by BERTON BRALEY Poet's Biography First Line: Once on a time there was a bard Last Line: "and none of them were very long!" Subject(s): Fables; Allegories | ||||||||
Once on a time there was a bard Who made his tuneful lute to twang, But found the going rather hard, Till one day, growing wise, he sang: "Perhaps my little lays are bad, Perhaps you think I sing them wrong, Butnone of them are very sad And none of them are very long!" Ah, then the people filled his hat And danced to all the songs he made; The minstrel waxed exceeding fat And joyfully his lute he played. The king came by and heard the lad Carol his promise to the throng, "None of my songs are very sad And none of them are very long!" "Oh, wondrous minstrel" quoth the king, "Oh, wisest of all bards there be, Come to the royal court and sing Thy deathless lyrics unto me." And so in silk the bard was clad, His verses rang the well-known gong, For none of them were very sad And none of them were very long! He sang of love and war and work, Of little things that men hold dear, Gay songs wherein the tear-drops lurk, Grave songs with smiles behind the tear; But all his many lyrics had A spirit unafraid and strong, Andnone of them were very sad And none of them were very long. Hear, then, this poet's epitaph; "He sang of Hope and not Despair, Of how a man might bravely laugh Through all the woes that he must bear; He made a dull old world seem glad With bits of simple, dauntless song, For none of them were very sad And none of them were very long!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CYMON AND IPHIGENIA by GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO SIGISMONDA AND GUISCARDO by GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO THE CHARACTER OF A GOOD PARSON by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE COCK AND THE FOX, OR THE TALE OF THE NUN'S PRIEST by GEOFFREY CHAUCER TIME, REAL AND IMAGINARY; AN ALLEGORY by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE GLADYS AND HER ISLAND; AN IMPERFECT TALE WITH DOUBTFUL MORAL by JEAN INGELOW THE WOLF AND THE DOG by JEAN DE LA FONTAINE |
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