Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE CLOWN, by MARGARET E. BRUNER


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE CLOWN, by                    
First Line: A crowd was gathering beneath the tent
Last Line: There is no mask to hide a lonely soul.
Subject(s): Clowns


A crowd was gathering beneath the tent --
The clown must keep them in a happy mood;
No matter if the jokes are rough and rude,
A circus is a place for merriment.
And one must be quick-minded and invent
New tricks and let no saddened thoughts intrude,
Nor let the public see him sigh or brood,
But banish care and seem indifferent.

There came a lull -- I saw him lean awhile
Against a post and gaze with weary eyes,
As if he traveled backward many a mile. . . .
And though his body wore a gay disguise,
For one brief space he played a tragic role --
There is no mask to hide a lonely soul.





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