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Poem
September 4, 1906
Evening Times Republican
Marshalltown, Marshall County, Iowa
What is this article about?
The poem personifies Opportunity as the master of human destinies, offering fame, love, and fortune to those who act decisively upon its knock, while those who hesitate face failure, poverty, and woe.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
Opportunity.
Master of human destinies am I!
Fame, love and fortune on my footsteps wait:
Cities and fields I walk; I penetrate
Deserts and seas remote and, passing by
Hovel and mart and palace, soon or late
I knock unbidden once at every gate.
If sleeping, wake; if feasting, rise before
I turn away. It is the hour of fate,
And they who follow me reach every state
Mortals desire and conquer every foe
Save death: but those who doubt or hesitate,
Condemned to failure, penury and woe
Seek me in vain and uselessly implore.
I answer not and return no more.
-John J. Ingalls
Master of human destinies am I!
Fame, love and fortune on my footsteps wait:
Cities and fields I walk; I penetrate
Deserts and seas remote and, passing by
Hovel and mart and palace, soon or late
I knock unbidden once at every gate.
If sleeping, wake; if feasting, rise before
I turn away. It is the hour of fate,
And they who follow me reach every state
Mortals desire and conquer every foe
Save death: but those who doubt or hesitate,
Condemned to failure, penury and woe
Seek me in vain and uselessly implore.
I answer not and return no more.
-John J. Ingalls
What sub-type of article is it?
Sonnet
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Opportunity
Fate
Destiny
Hesitation
Success
Failure
Seize The Moment
What entities or persons were involved?
John J. Ingalls
Poem Details
Title
Opportunity.
Author
John J. Ingalls
Form / Style
Iambic Pentameter
Key Lines
Master Of Human Destinies Am I!
I Knock Unbidden Once At Every Gate.
It Is The Hour Of Fate,
I Answer Not And Return No More.