Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, TACT, by HARRY GRAHAM


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

TACT, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Tho' endowed with all the virtues of a daniel
Last Line: As a masterpiece of tact!
Alternate Author Name(s): Streamer, Col. D.
Subject(s): Tact


Tho' endowed with all the virtues of a Daniel,
With a nature free from blemishes or flaws;
Tho' combining the devotion of a spaniel
With intelligence like Mr. Bernard Shaw's;
Tho' the noblest disposition you inherit,
And your character with piety is pack'd,
All such qualities have very little merit,
Unaccompanied by Tact.
What is Tact? you may inquire -- and very rightly --
'Tis that mixture of good taste and savoir faire
Which impels us to conduct ourselves politely,
Not to gossip, not to snigger, not to stare;
To be gay (but not facetious) at a wedding,
At a fun'ral, sympathetic but discreet --
'Tis the art, above all else, of never treading
Upon other people's feet.

If a neighbor has a face like a geranium,
It is rude of you to blink or shade your eyes;
If he balances a wig upon his cranium,
You should view it with inaudible surprise.
Ere you ridicule the tint of people's noses,
Or their lamentable paucity of hair,
Recollect how little urchins twitted Moses,
And were eaten by a bear!

When residing in a house where there are lovers,
You should don the very loudest of your suits;
And a tactful man instinctively discovers
The necessity for wearing squeaky boots.
In your efforts to prevent a private scandal,
Which a fashionable hostess might deplore,
You should cough, and have some trouble with the handle
Before entering a door.

It is Tact that makes the needy cringe and grovel,
And the rich behave like Romans when in Rome;
It is Tact that brings contentment to the hovel,
It is Tact that carries peace into the home.
It is Tact -- but why this "dam'd reiteration"
Of a simple and indisputable fact,
Since my poem needs no further illustration
As a masterpiece of Tact!





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