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Poem
May 20, 1775
The Virginia Gazette
Richmond, Williamsburg, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
The poem 'The CHOICE' prefers a secure, obscure life in leisure and simplicity over the fleeting pleasures and risks of fame, political power, and popularity, concluding that a quiet death as a countryman is preferable to a renowned but isolated one.
Clipping
OCR Quality
97%
Excellent
Full Text
POET'S CORNER.
The CHOICE.
No, I shan't envy him whoe'er he be,
That stands upon the battlements of state;
Stand there who will for me,
I'd rather be secure than great.
Of being so high the pleasure is but small,
But long the ruin if I chance to fall.
Let me in some sweet shade serenely lie,
Happy in leisure and obscurity!
Whilst others place their joys
In popularity and noise,
Let my soft minutes glide obscurely on,
Like subterranean streams, unheard, unknown.
Thus when my days are all in silence past,
A good plain countryman I'll die at last.
Death cannot choose but be
To him a mighty misery,
Who to the world was popularly known,
And dies a stranger to himself alone.
The CHOICE.
No, I shan't envy him whoe'er he be,
That stands upon the battlements of state;
Stand there who will for me,
I'd rather be secure than great.
Of being so high the pleasure is but small,
But long the ruin if I chance to fall.
Let me in some sweet shade serenely lie,
Happy in leisure and obscurity!
Whilst others place their joys
In popularity and noise,
Let my soft minutes glide obscurely on,
Like subterranean streams, unheard, unknown.
Thus when my days are all in silence past,
A good plain countryman I'll die at last.
Death cannot choose but be
To him a mighty misery,
Who to the world was popularly known,
And dies a stranger to himself alone.
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
Epigram
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Satire Society
Political
What keywords are associated?
Choice Obscurity
Secure Vs Great
Leisure Simplicity
Popularity Noise
Death Misery
Countryman Life
Ambition Ruin
Poem Details
Title
The Choice.
Form / Style
Rhymed Couplets
Key Lines
I'd Rather Be Secure Than Great.
Let My Soft Minutes Glide Obscurely On,
Like Subterranean Streams, Unheard, Unknown.
A Good Plain Countryman I'll Die At Last.
Death Cannot Choose But Be
To Him A Mighty Misery,
Who To The World Was Popularly Known,
And Dies A Stranger To Himself Alone.