FOOLISH BOASTING
This is a short
anapestic ballad based on fable from Aesop. It has alternating lines
of four and three feet.
It is better
by far not to brag and to boast,
You might say
it’s a very good rule.
For the one
who must boast is the one who is most
In great danger
of looking a fool.
The anapest is often
suitable for a light and slightly comic touch. Dr Seuss, for
example, often used it.
An
anapaest (also spelled anapæst or anapest, also called
antidactylus) is a metrical foot used in formal poetry. In classical
quantitative meters it consists of two short syllables followed by a
long one; in accentual stress meters it consists of two unstressed
syllables followed by one stressed syllable. Wikipedia.
The
ballad is a poem that is typically
arranged in quatrains with the rhyme scheme ABAB. Ballads
are usually narrative, which means they tell a story - study.com
FOOLISH BOASTING
It is better by far
not to brag and to boast,
You might say it’s
a very good rule.
For the one who must
boast is the one who is most
In great danger of
looking a fool.
Once a man who was
planning a friendly surprise
Looked around for a
suitable light.
Then he found some
wax candles of varying size
To arrange for a
party at night.
So he took them and
stood them outside with great care,
Out in every safe
spot that he could.
And while darkness
descended he lit them all there
So they’d give out
soft light where they stood.
Now one candle was
largest, it was highest by far.
It was wide; it was
tall; it was bright.
And when it was lit
it shone out like a star
That’s ablaze in
the dark depths of night.
Now this candle was
bright but it also was proud
For it felt it had
something to show.
So it sang to the
rest with a song that was loud,
“ Don’t
you see my magnificent glow!”
“I’m
delightful! I dazzle! See me flame; see me flower!”
The proud candle
proclaimed to the rest.
But one old,
half-burnt candle replied, “All your power
Is one flame, that
is all, at it’s best.”
“Oh,
what nonsense, old smoky!” the proud candle flared.
“I am
brighter, much brighter by far!
If you checked you
would find- if you did, if you dared-
I’m outshining the
moon and each star!”
And now just as it
boasted a sudden, brief gust,
A short rush of
quick wind, went on through…
And it blew where
the candles stood, scattering dust,
And it blew out the
proud candle too!
Now the others just
flickered but it went right out.
In a moment its
glory was gone.
And the old candle
laughed, “When I look all about
I just wonder how
true was your song!”
“I’m
inclined to believe that the moon and each star
Are a little more
powerful than you.
Yes, their light
shines forever, forever from far,
And each night they
are raying anew!”
“ So
you see, foolish friend, that to brag is bad form
For you know that no
wind passing by-
No, not even the
terrible rage of wild storm,
Ever blows out the
lights in the sky!”
No comments:
Post a Comment