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Poem
November 18, 1892
Hot Springs Weekly Star
Hot Springs, Fall River County, South Dakota
What is this article about?
A satirical poem by E. F. Ward portraying childhood friends naively entering the bitter, destructive world of politics as sailing on a treacherous 'vitriol sea,' where their vessels of wood, brass, or glass inevitably fail.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
POLITICS.
Ever so many of my childhood friends
That started ahead of me,
with fearless ignorance, fearless hope,
To sail on the vitriol sea;
Little they knew of the depth or the scope
Of the treacherous vitriol sea.
Some of them sailed in boats of wood—
Think of it! sailed with glee,
In boats of wood—yes, painted wood!
Out on the vitriol sea;
It ate the boats up—wood was not good
To sail on the vitriol sea.
Many tried brass, and some tried glass,
To sail on the vitriol sea;
Mindless alike of corrosion or storms,
They sailed with a fearless glee;
Happy today, but tomorrow, in fragments,
To be wrecked in the vitriol sea.
"Where were they going," I hear you ask,
"That sailed on the vitriol sea?"
Well, that is something I do not know,
A mystery even to me;
But still they do go, and determined to go
; And sail on the vitriol sea.
—E. F. WARD, of Kansas,
Ever so many of my childhood friends
That started ahead of me,
with fearless ignorance, fearless hope,
To sail on the vitriol sea;
Little they knew of the depth or the scope
Of the treacherous vitriol sea.
Some of them sailed in boats of wood—
Think of it! sailed with glee,
In boats of wood—yes, painted wood!
Out on the vitriol sea;
It ate the boats up—wood was not good
To sail on the vitriol sea.
Many tried brass, and some tried glass,
To sail on the vitriol sea;
Mindless alike of corrosion or storms,
They sailed with a fearless glee;
Happy today, but tomorrow, in fragments,
To be wrecked in the vitriol sea.
"Where were they going," I hear you ask,
"That sailed on the vitriol sea?"
Well, that is something I do not know,
A mystery even to me;
But still they do go, and determined to go
; And sail on the vitriol sea.
—E. F. WARD, of Kansas,
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
What themes does it cover?
Political
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Politics
Vitriol Sea
Sailing Metaphor
Childhood Friends
Corrosion
Fearless Hope
What entities or persons were involved?
E. F. Ward, Of Kansas
Poem Details
Title
Politics.
Author
E. F. Ward, Of Kansas
Form / Style
Rhymed Stanzas
Key Lines
Ever So Many Of My Childhood Friends
That Started Ahead Of Me,
With Fearless Ignorance, Fearless Hope,
To Sail On The Vitriol Sea;
It Ate The Boats Up—Wood Was Not Good
To Sail On The Vitriol Sea.
But Still They Do Go, And Determined To Go
; And Sail On The Vitriol Sea.