Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE CHOICE OF KING MIDAS, by JOHN GODFREY SAXE



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE CHOICE OF KING MIDAS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: King midas, prince of phrygia, several thousand years ago
Last Line: And that avarice, though it prosper, still contrives to cheat itself.
Subject(s): Greed; Midas; Avarice; Cupidity


KING MIDAS, prince of Phrygia, several thousand years ago,
Was a very worthy monarch, as the classic annals show;
You may read'em at your leisure, when you have a mind to doze,
In the finest Latin verses, or in choice Hellenic prose.

Now this notable old monarch, King of Phrygia, as aforesaid
(Of whose royal state and character there might be vastly more said),
Though he occupied a palace, kept a very open door,
And had still a ready welcome for the stranger and the poor.

Now it chanced that old Silenus, who, it seems, had lost his way,
Following Bacchus through the forest, in the pleasant month of May
(Which was n't very singular, for at the present day
The followers of Bacchus very often go astray),

Came at last to good King Midas, who received him in his court,
Gave him comfortable lodgings, and -- to cut the matter short --
With as much consideration treated weary old Silenus,
As if the entertainment were for Mercury or Venus.

Now when Bacchus heard the story, he proceeded to the king,
And says he: "By old Silenus you have done the handsome thing;
He's my much-respected tutor, who has taught me how to read,
And I'm sure your royal kindness should receive its proper meed;

"So I grant you full permission to select your own reward.
Choose a gift to suit your fancy, -- something worthy of a lord!"
"Bully Bacche!" cried the monarch, "if I do not make too bold,
Let whatever I may handle be transmuted into gold!"

Midas, sitting down to dinner, sees the answer to his wish,
For the turbot on the platter turns into a golden fish!
And the bread between his fingers is no longer wheaten bread,
But the slice he tries to swallow is a wedge of gold instead!

And the roast he takes for mutton fills his mouth with golden meat,
Very tempting to the vision, but ex tremely hard to eat;
And the liquor in his goblet, very rare, select, and old,
Down the monarch's thirsty throttle runs a stream of liquid gold!

Quite disgusted with his dining, he betakes him to his bed;
But, alas! the golden pillow does n't rest his weary head
Nor does all the gold around him soothe the monarch's tender skin;
Golden sheets, to sleepy mortals, might as well be sheets of tin.
Now poor Midas, straight repenting of his rash and foolish choice,
Went to Bacchus, and assured him, in a very plaintive voice,
That his golden gift was working in a manner most unpleasant, --
And the god, in sheer compassion, took away the fatal present.

MORAL.

By this mythologic story we are very plainly told,
That, though gold may have its uses, there are better things than gold;
That a man may sell his freedom to procure the shining pelf;
And that Avarice, though it prosper, still contrives to cheat itself.





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