Classic and Contemporary Poetry
DUTY, by ARTHUR HUGH CLOUGH Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Duty - that's to say, complying Last Line: Pure nonentity of duty! Subject(s): Duty | ||||||||
DUTY -- that's to say, complying With whate'er's expected here; On your unknown cousin's dying. Straight be ready with the tear; Upon etiquette relying, Unto usage nought denying, Lend your waist to be embraced, Blush not even, never fear; Claims of kith and kin connection, Claims of manners honour still, Ready money of affection Pay, whoever drew the bill. With the form conforming duly, Senseless what it meaneth truly, Go to church -- the world require you, To balls -- the world require you too, And marry -- papa and mamma desire you, And your sisters and schoolfellows do. Duty -- 'tis to take on trust What things are good, and right, and just; And whether indeed they be or be not, Try not, test not, feel not, see not: 'Tis walk and dance, sit down and rise By leading, opening ne'er your eyes; Stunt sturdy limbs that Nature gave, And be drawn in a Bath chair along to the grave. 'Tis the stern and prompt suppressing As an obvious deadly sin, All the questing and the guessing Of the soul's own soul within: 'Tis the coward acquiescence In a destiny's behest, To a shade by terror made, Sacrificing, aye, the essence Of all that's truest, noblest, best: 'Tis the blind non-recognition Or of goodness, truth, or beauty, Save by precept and submission; Moral blank, and moral void, Life at very birth destroyed. Atrophy, exinanition! Duty! Yea, by duty's prime condition Pure nonentity of duty! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MEDICINE 2; FOR JOHN MURRAY by CAROLYN KIZER AND THEY OBEY by CARL SANDBURG STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING by ROBERT FROST BY THE RIVERS by SHIRLEY KAUFMAN TO LUCASTA, [ON] GOING TO THE WARS by RICHARD LOVELACE FOR THE UNION DEAD by ROBERT LOWELL WITH WHOM IS NO VARIABLENESS, NEITHER SHADOW OF TURNING' by ARTHUR HUGH CLOUGH |
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