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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
EXIT NIGHTINGALE, by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON Poet's Biography First Line: Ghastly contrast, god's grim joke! Last Line: Is wiped out in city mud. Subject(s): Suicide; Labor & Laborers; Royal Court Life; Royalty; Kings; Queens; Riches; Fortunes | |||
GHASTLY contrast, God's grim joke! Here's a man who, on a morn, Very weary, hopeless, spoke: "I am out of work, and scorn, Want and ugliness are mine." So this creature, made divine (So they tell us) simply shot His weak brains out -- there's your plot! Nothing in it, say you? Stale? True, 'tis but a common tale, But the story gives me pause For a moment's space, because This poor breaker of God's laws Bore the name of -- Nightingale! Somewhere in the years behind, When men's names were first assumed -- Tinker Tom or John the Smith, Handier to travel with -- Somebody was this assigned: Nightingale . . . Belike there bloomed On his cheek the badge of health And he had, instead of wealth, Music for his gift, could sing, Play the fiddle, lead the folk Down the jolly dancing-ring; Make them thus forget their yoke, In some village . . . long ago. Merry lad, who far and wide Up and down the countryside Piped before the people so! Thus, the name bespoke the man. Latterly there came a change In this very pretty plan And a name meant naught at all. Taylors sat within the Hall, Kings in hovels -- passing strange! Time's inexorable jest Mocked the high and blurred the best. So with Nightingale, -- he fell From his pristine grove and -- well, Found himself in songless hell. Heigho, how the world is run! Morn of glory, night of shame, Worms that crawl from out a bud. Every day 'twixt sun and sun Some poor devil's singing name Is wiped out in city mud. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ALL LIFE IN A LIFE by EDGAR LEE MASTERS FOUR POEMS ABOUT JAMAICA: 3. A HAIRPIN TURN ABOVE READING, JAMAICA by WILLIAM MATTHEWS IMAGINE YOURSELF by EVE MERRIAM THE PROPHET by LUCILLE CLIFTON I AM FIFTY-TWO YEARS OLD' by KENNETH REXROTH LAST VISIT TO THE SWIMMING POOL SOVIETS by KENNETH REXROTH PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR AS A YOUNG ANARCHIST by KENNETH REXROTH BLACK SHEEP by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON |
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