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Poem
April 4, 1827
Phenix Gazette
Alexandria, Virginia
What is this article about?
Reflective poem on the shared human condition: a nameless man who experienced joy, grief, love, and death, now forgotten, mirroring every reader's fate.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
POETRY.
THE COMMON LOT.
BY MONTGOMERY.
Once, in the flight of ages past,
There lived a man—and who was he?
Mortality, however thy lot be cast,
That man resembles thee.
Unknown the region of his birth,
The land in which he died unknown;
His name has perished from the earth,
This truth survives alone:
That joy, and grief, and hope, and fear,
Alternate triumphed in his breast;
His bliss and woe, a smile, a tear,
Oblivion hides the rest.
The bounding pulse, the languid limb,
The changing spirit's rise and fall,
We know that these were felt by him,
For these are felt by all.
He suffered, but his pangs are o'er;
Enjoyed, but his delights are fled;
Had friends; his friends are now no more;
And foes; his foes are dead.
He loved; but whom he loved, the grave
Hath lost in its unconscious womb.
O! she was fair! but nought could save
Her beauty from the tomb.
The rolling seasons, day and night,
Sun, moon, and stars, the earth and main,
Erewhile his portion; life, and light,
To him exist in vain.
He saw whatever thou hast seen,
Encountered all that troubles thee;
He was—whatever thou hast been;
He is—what thou shalt be.
The clouds and sun-beams, o'er his eye
That once their shades and glory threw,
Have left in yonder silent sky
No vestige where they flew.
The annals of the human race,
Their ruins, since the world began,
Of him afford no other trace
Than this,—THERE LIVED A MAN!
THE COMMON LOT.
BY MONTGOMERY.
Once, in the flight of ages past,
There lived a man—and who was he?
Mortality, however thy lot be cast,
That man resembles thee.
Unknown the region of his birth,
The land in which he died unknown;
His name has perished from the earth,
This truth survives alone:
That joy, and grief, and hope, and fear,
Alternate triumphed in his breast;
His bliss and woe, a smile, a tear,
Oblivion hides the rest.
The bounding pulse, the languid limb,
The changing spirit's rise and fall,
We know that these were felt by him,
For these are felt by all.
He suffered, but his pangs are o'er;
Enjoyed, but his delights are fled;
Had friends; his friends are now no more;
And foes; his foes are dead.
He loved; but whom he loved, the grave
Hath lost in its unconscious womb.
O! she was fair! but nought could save
Her beauty from the tomb.
The rolling seasons, day and night,
Sun, moon, and stars, the earth and main,
Erewhile his portion; life, and light,
To him exist in vain.
He saw whatever thou hast seen,
Encountered all that troubles thee;
He was—whatever thou hast been;
He is—what thou shalt be.
The clouds and sun-beams, o'er his eye
That once their shades and glory threw,
Have left in yonder silent sky
No vestige where they flew.
The annals of the human race,
Their ruins, since the world began,
Of him afford no other trace
Than this,—THERE LIVED A MAN!
What sub-type of article is it?
Elegy
What themes does it cover?
Death Mourning
What keywords are associated?
Common Lot
Mortality
Human Condition
Oblivion
Death
Forgotten Man
What entities or persons were involved?
By Montgomery.
Poem Details
Title
The Common Lot.
Author
By Montgomery.
Form / Style
Rhymed Quatrains
Key Lines
That Joy, And Grief, And Hope, And Fear,
Alternate Triumphed In His Breast;
His Bliss And Woe, A Smile, A Tear,
Oblivion Hides The Rest.
He Saw Whatever Thou Hast Seen,
Encountered All That Troubles Thee;
He Was—Whatever Thou Hast Been;
He Is—What Thou Shalt Be.
The Annals Of The Human Race,
Their Ruins, Since The World Began,
Of Him Afford No Other Trace
Than This,—There Lived A Man!