Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE TWO ROUND SPACES ON THE TOMB-STONE, by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: The devil believes that the lord will come Last Line: For they are cock-sure of the fellow below. Subject(s): Mackintosh, Sir James (1765-1832) | ||||||||
The Devil believes that the Lord will come, Stealing a march without beat of drum, About the same time that he came last, On an old Christmas-day in a snowy blast: Till he bids the trump sound, neither body nor soul stirs, For the dead men's heads have slipt under their bolsters. Oh! ho! brother Bard, in our church-yard, Both beds and bolsters are soft and green; Save one alone, and that's of stone, And under it lies a Counsellor keen. 'Twould be a square tomb, if it were not too long, And 'tis fenced round with irons sharp, spearlike, and strong. This fellow from Aberdeen hither did skip, With a waxy face, and a blubber lip, And a black tooth in front, to show in part What was the colour of his whole heart. This Counsellor sweet, This Scotchman complete, (The Devil scotch him for a snake) I trust he lies in his grave awake. On the sixth of January, When all around is white with snow, As a Cheshire yeoman's dairy; Brother Bard, ho! ho! Believe it, or no, On that stone tomb to you I'll show Two round spaces void of snow. I swear by our Knight, and his forefathers' souls, That in size and shape they are just like the holes In the house of privity Of that ancient family. On those two places void of snow, There have sate in the night for an hour or so, Before sunrise, and after cock-crow, He kicking his heels, she cursing her corns, All to the tune of the wind in their horns, The Devil, and his Grannam, With a snow-blast to fan 'em; Expecting and hoping the trumpet to blow, For they are cock-sure of the fellow below. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A DAY DREAM by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE A THOUGHT SUGGESTED BY A VIEW, OF SADDLEBACK IN CUMBERLAND by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE AN INVOCATION; SONG, FR. REMORSE by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE AN ODE TO THE RAIN by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE ANSWER TO A CHILD'S QUESTION by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE APOLOGIA PRO VITA SUA by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE COLOGNE; EPIGRAM by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE DEJECTION: AN ODE by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE DUTY SURVIVING SELF-LOVE; THE ONLY SURE FRIEND OF DECLINING LIFE by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE EPITAPH ON HIMSELF by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE FANCY IN NUBIBUS; OR, THE POET IN THE CLOUDS by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE |
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