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 @3savoir faire@1 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! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ILICET by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE IMPRESSIONS: LA FUITE DE LA LUNE by OSCAR WILDE THE ROSE by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH THE DEAD LARK by ALEXANDER ANDERSON THE CHURCH OF BROU by MATTHEW ARNOLD ASPIRATIONS: 10 by MATHILDE BLIND |