Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE LINCOLN CENT, by AMOS RUSSEL WELLS Poet's Biography First Line: Pleasant is the mellow tinkle Last Line: Hats off to the lincoln cent! Subject(s): Money | ||||||||
Pleasant is the mellow tinkle Of the golden eagle grand, Pleasant is the kindly jingle Of good silver in the hand; But the little bit of copper On its humble errand bent Is the king of all our coins: Hats off to the Lincoln cent! I am glad they put him on it, On the lowly copper bit, Not upon the lordly eagle For a banker's fingers fit; For he loved the common people, And he wished no other fate Than that common folk should love him, They, the basis of the state. But I wish they'd put him on it Of full length, the Lincoln size, Tall and gaunt as stands a pine-tree, Tall and stately for men's eyes. He was awkward, so they tell me; Be it so, and who would care When they saw him like a column Firm and patient standing there? So he walks among the people Much as when he lived on earth, In the ways of homely traffic, And of simple, gentle worth. Still he walks among the people On our common errands bent, Copper king of all our coins; Hats off to the Lincoln cent! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE TRAVELLER by RANDALL JARRELL ART VS. TRADE by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON A BATTLE SONG (WRITTEN IN THE WORLD WAR) by AMOS RUSSEL WELLS |
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