Classic and Contemporary Poetry
PITIFUL, by JOHN GALSWORTHY Poet's Biography First Line: When god made man to live his hour Last Line: Alack! We know not what we do! Alternate Author Name(s): Sinjohn, John Subject(s): Animals | ||||||||
WHEN God made man to live his hour, And hitch his wagon to a star, He made a being without power To see His creatures as they are. He made a masterpiece of will, Superb above the mortal lot, Invincible by any ill -- Imagination He forgot! This man of God, with every wish To earn the joy of Kingdom Come, Will prison up the golden fish In bowls no bigger than a drum. And though he'll wither from remorse When he refuses Duty's call, He'll cut the tail off every horse And carve each helpless animal. No spur to humour doth he want, In wit the earth he overlords, Yet drives the hapless elephant To clown and tumble on "the boards." This man, of every learning chief, So wise that he can read the skies, Can fail to read the wordless grief That haunts a prisoned monkey's eyes. He'll preach of "Mercy to the weak," And strive to lengthen human breath, But starve the little gaping beak, And hunt the timid hare to death. Though, with a spirit wild as wind, The world at liberty he'd see, He cannot any reason find To set the tameless tiger free. Such healing victories he wins, And drugs away the mother's pangs, But sets his god-forsaken 'gins' To mangle rabbits with their fangs. Devote, he'd travel all the roads To track and vanquish all the pains, And yet -- the wagon overloads, The watch-dog to his barrel chains. He'll soar the heavens in his flight, To measure Nature's majesty; Yet take his children to delight In captive eagles' tragedy. This man, in knowledge absolute, Who right, and love, and honour woos, Yet keeps the pitiful poor brute To mope and languish in his Zoos. You creatures wild, of field and air, Keep far from men, where'er they go! God set no speculation there -- Alack! We know not what we do! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ROMANTIC MOMENTS by TONY HOAGLAND INSECT LIFE OF FLORIDA by LYNDA HULL THE ANIMALS by JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN THE PRESENCES by JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN THE HORSES by KATHARINE LEE BATES BESTIARY by EARL (EARLE) BIRNEY THE FARMER'S BOY: WINTER by ROBERT BLOOMFIELD |
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