But One Talent Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCD EEFF GGHH GGGG GGG GGII GGJJ KKGG LLMM KKII KKKK GGN GGGG| Ye who yourselves of larger worth esteem | A |
| Than common mortals listen to my dream | A |
| and learn the lesson of life's cozening cheat | B |
| The coinage of conceit | B |
| - | |
| The angel guardian of my youth and age | C |
| Spread out before me an account book's page | C |
| Saying 'This column marks what thou dost owe | D |
| The gain thou hast to show ' | - |
| - | |
| Spirit ' I said 'I know alas too well | E |
| How poor the tale thy record has to tell | E |
| Much I received the little I have brought | F |
| Seems by its side as naught | F |
| - | |
| Five talents all of Ophir's purest gold | G |
| These five fair caskets ranged before thee hold | G |
| The first can show a few poor shekels' gain | H |
| The rest unchanged remain | H |
| - | |
| 'Bringing my scanty tribute overawed | G |
| To Him who reapeth where He hath not strawed | G |
| I tremble like a culprit when I count | G |
| My whole vast debt's amount | G |
| - | |
| 'What will He say to one from whom were due | G |
| Ten talents when he comes with less than two | G |
| What can I do but shudder and await | G |
| The slothful servant's fate ' | - |
| - | |
| As looks a mother on an erring child | G |
| The angel looked me in the face and smiled | G |
| 'How couldst thou reckoning with thyself contrive | I |
| To count thy talents five | I |
| - | |
| 'These caskets which thy flattering fancies gild | G |
| Not all with Ophir's precious ore are filled | G |
| Thy debt is slender for thy gift was small | J |
| One talent that was all | J |
| - | |
| 'This second casket with its grave pretence | K |
| Is weighty with thine IGNORANCE dark and dense | K |
| Save for a single glowworm's glimmering light | G |
| To mock its murky night | G |
| - | |
| 'The third conceals the DULNESS that was thine | L |
| How could thy mind its lack of wit divine | L |
| Let not what Heaven assigned thee bring thee blame | M |
| Thy want is not thy shame | M |
| - | |
| 'The fourth so light to lift so fair to see | K |
| Is filled to bursting with thy VANITY | K |
| The vaporous breath that kept thy hopes alive | I |
| By counting one as five | I |
| - | |
| 'These held but little but the fifth held less | K |
| Only blank vacuum naked nothingness | K |
| An idiot's portion He who gave it knows | K |
| Its claimant nothing owes | K |
| - | |
| 'Thrice happy pauper he whose last account | G |
| Shows on the debtor side the least amount | G |
| The more thy gifts the more thou needs must pay | N |
| On life's dread reckoning day ' | - |
| - | |
| Humbled not grieving to be undeceived | G |
| I woke from fears of hopeless debt relieved | G |
| For sparing gifts but small returns are due | G |
| Thank Heaven I had so few | G |
Oliver Wendell Holmes
(1)
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