English poem
SONNET WROTE AFTER HEARIN’ A YOUTH ORATIN’ ABOUT “CASABIANCA”
by Nixon Waterman (1859–1944)
O Boy, that stood'st upon the burnin' deck And gotst thyself in our school readers and The "Whoop-'er-up" school speakers of our land Because thou wouldst not leave that sinkin' wreck, Oh, don'tst thou think if thou hadst saved thy neck And wisely cut and run to beat the band, Thou couldst have later done things still more grand? Alas! too soon didst death thy valor check!
Oh, didst thou stay because thou couldst not swim? Or wast it fame for which thy heart didst yearn? Of course thou gotst a name time canst not dim, But seemst to me that all I canst discern In thy foolhardy, stickin'-to-it whim Is that thou deemed the world hadst boys to burn.
More by Nixon Waterman
- LINES WROTE WHILST RECOVERIN’ FROM AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY A HORNET
- LINES WROTE WHILST SMARTIN’ FROM PUNISHMENT RECEIVED FOR LYIN’
- LINES WROTE WHILST THINKIN’ ABOUT HOW PA ACTS WHEN DRESSIN’ UP
- Some Thoughts Thought Whilst Havin’ To Bathe In A Bath-Tub
- SONNET WROTE ON THE FLY-LEAF OF MY GRAMMAR DURIN’ SCHOOL HOURS
- SONNET WROTE WHILST RETROSPECTIVELY CONTEMPLATIN’ MY FIRST CIGAR
- SONNET WROTE WHILST THINKIN’ ABOUT A VACATION SPENT ON A FARM
- SONNET WROTE WHILST THINKIN’ OF MY SISTER MAYMIE'S HOMELY BEAU