Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE FROG, by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Who am I but the frog -- the frog Last Line: And grace to his royal whim! Alternate Author Name(s): Johnson Of Boone, Benj. F. Subject(s): Animals; Courts & Courtiers; Frogs; Swamps; Bogs; Fens; Marshes | ||||||||
Who am I but the Frog -- the Frog! My realm is the dark bayou, And my throne is the muddy and moss-grown log That the poison-vine clings to -- And the blacksnakes slide in the slimy tide Where the ghost of the moon looks blue. What am I but a King -- a King! -- For the royal robes I wear -- A scepter, too, and a signet-ring, As vassals and serfs declare: And a voice, god wot, that is equaled not In the wide world anywhere! I can talk to the Night -- the Night! -- Under her big black wing She tells me the tale of the world outright, And the secret of everything; For she knows you all, from the time you crawl, To the doom that death will bring. The Storm swoops down, and he blows -- and blows, -- While I drum on his swollen cheek, And croak in his angered eye that glows With the lurid lightning's streak; While the rushes drown in the watery frown That his bursting passions leak. And I can see through the sky -- the sky -- As clear as a piece of glass; And I can tell you the how and why Of the things that come to pass -- And whether the dead are there instead, Or under the graveyard grass. To your Sovereign lord all hail -- all hail! -- To your Prince on his throne so grim! Let the moon swing low, and the high stars trail Their heads in the dust to him; And the wide world sing: Long live the King, And grace to his royal whim! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE HANDSOME SWAMP by THOMAS LUX BOGLAND; FOR T.P. FLANAGAN by SEAMUS HEANEY HYMNS OF THE MARSHES: MARSH SONG - AT SUNSET by SIDNEY LANIER HYMNS OF THE MARSHES: SUNRISE by SIDNEY LANIER HYMNS OF THE MARSHES: THE MARSHES OF GLYNN by SIDNEY LANIER MARSH MUSIC by KENNETH SLADE ALLING IN A JON BOAT DURING A FLORIDA DAWN by DAVID BOTTOMS A BOY'S MOTHER by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY |
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