Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, HINTS, by ALICE CARY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

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First Line: Two thirsty travelers chanced one day to meet
Last Line: And that a tree is stronger than a vine.
Subject(s): Trees


TWO thirsty travelers chanced one day to meet
Where a spring bubbled from the burning sand;
One drank out of the hollow of his hand,
And found the water very cool and sweet.

The other waited for a smith to beat
And fashion for his use a golden cup;
And while he waited, fainting in the heat,
The sunshine came and drank the fountain up!

In a green field two little flowers there were,
And both were fair in th' face and tender-eyed;
One took the light and dew that heaven supplied,
And all the summer gusts were sweet with her.

The other, to her nature false, denied
That she had any need of sun and dew,
And hung her silly head, and sickly grew,
And frayed and faded, all untimely died.

A vine o' th' bean, that had been early wed
To a tall peach, conceiving that he hid
Her glories from the world, unwisely slid
Out of his arms, and vainly chafing, said:

"This fellow is an enemy of mine,
And dwarfs me with his shade:" she would not see
That she was made a vine, and not a tree,
And that a tree is stronger than a vine.





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