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Poem
August 19, 1880
Fayetteville Observer
Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee
What is this article about?
A lyrical poem countering cynical views of life, love, and women, with the speaker affirming personal happiness, optimism, and devotion to his wife despite others' pessimism.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Where pleasures pass like breath on glass
And only woes abide.
It may be so-I cannot know-
Yet this I dare not say,
My lot has had more glad than sad,
And so it has to-day.
They say that love's a cruel jest;
They tell of woman's wiles-
That poison dips its pouting lips,
And death in dimpled smiles.
It may be so-I cannot know—
Yet sure of this I am,
One heart is found above the ground
Whose love is not a sham.
They say that life's a bitter curse—
That hearts are made to ache,
That jest and song are gravely wrong,
And health a vast mistake,
It may be so--I cannot know-
But let them talk their fill;
I like my life and love my wife,
And mean to do so still.
And only woes abide.
It may be so-I cannot know-
Yet this I dare not say,
My lot has had more glad than sad,
And so it has to-day.
They say that love's a cruel jest;
They tell of woman's wiles-
That poison dips its pouting lips,
And death in dimpled smiles.
It may be so-I cannot know—
Yet sure of this I am,
One heart is found above the ground
Whose love is not a sham.
They say that life's a bitter curse—
That hearts are made to ache,
That jest and song are gravely wrong,
And health a vast mistake,
It may be so--I cannot know-
But let them talk their fill;
I like my life and love my wife,
And mean to do so still.
What sub-type of article is it?
Song
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Love Courtship
Moral Virtue
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Optimism
Love
Wife
Cynicism
Life Affirmation
Marriage
Pessimism
Poem Details
Form / Style
Rhymed Quatrains With Refrain
Key Lines
It May Be So I Cannot Know
I Like My Life And Love My Wife,
And Mean To Do So Still.