Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TO AN AMERICAN BOY, by JOHN TROTWOOD MOORE Poet's Biography First Line: Be manly, lad-your folks have made Last Line: Is the home of dwarfs and pigmies! Subject(s): Idleness; Laziness; Sloth; Indolence | ||||||||
BE manly, ladyour folks have made Their way by work and waiting, Be manly, lada spade's a spade Though it hath a silver plating. For all must work or all must steal What's idleness but stealing? To each will come his woe and weal His weak or strong revealing. And work makes brains, but error's chains Are forged in fashion's idleness! Be honest, ladyou weaker grow From gain that's falsely gotten. Be honest, ladwhat's outward show When all within is rotten? For each must live or each must die What's honor lost, but dying? To live with Truth and you a lie! Was ever death more trying? And Truth makes menbut falsehood's den Is the home of dwarfs and pigmies! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AGAINST WHATEVER IT IS THAT'S ENCROACHING by CHARLES SIMIC NIKOS AT 42 by REETIKA VAZIRANI ODE ON INDOLENCE by JOHN KEATS IDLENESS by SILAS WEIR MITCHELL VAIN EXCUSE by WALTER CONRAD ARENSBERG A HARVEST SONG by JOHN TROTWOOD MOORE A MEMORIAL DAY POEM FOR THE CONFEDERACY by JOHN TROTWOOD MOORE |
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