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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BALLADE OF CRICKET, by ANDREW LANG Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: The burden of hard hitting: slog away! Last Line: "this is the end of every man's desire!" Subject(s): Cricket (game); Sports | |||
THE burden of hard hitting: slog away! Here shalt thou make a "five" and there a "four,' And then upon thy bat shalt lean, and say, That thou art in for an uncommon score. Yea, the loud ring applauding thee shall roar, And thou to rival THORNTON shalt aspire, When lo, the Umpire gives thee "leg before,"— "This is the end of every man's desire!" The burden of much bowling, when the stay Of all thy team is "collared," swift or slower, When "bailers" break not in their wonted way, And "yorkers" come not off as here-to-fore, When length balls shoot no more, ah never more, When all deliveries lose their former fire, When bats seem broader than the broad barn-door,— "This is the end of every man's desire!" The burden of long fielding, when the clay Clings to thy shoon in sudden shower's downpour, And running still thou stumblest, or the ray Of blazing suns doth bite and burn thee sore, And blind thee till, forgetful of thy lore, Thou dost most mournfully misjudge a "skyer, And lose a match the Fates cannot restore,— "This is the end of every man's desire!" ENVOY Alas, yet liefer on Youth's hither shore Would I be some poor Player on scant hire, Than King among the old, who play no more,— "This is the end of every man's desire!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SPORT STORY OF A WINNER by GLYN MAXWELL WOMAN SKATING by MARGARET ATWOOD FISHING IN WINTER by RALPH BURNS CAPPER KAPLINSKI AT THE NORTH SIDE CUE CLUB by HAYDEN CARRUTH JACKIE ROBINSON by LUCILLE CLIFTON FOR THE DEATH OF VINCE LOMBARDI by JAMES DICKEY THE DEATH OF THE RACE CAR DRIVER by NORMAN DUBIE |
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