Section: «Poems»
Verse (ancient Greek ὁ στίχος — row, structure), a term in versification used in several meanings:
artistic speech organized by division into rhythmically commensurate segments; poetry in the narrow sense; in particular, it implies the properties of versification of a particular tradition ("antique verse", "Akhmatova's verse", etc.);
a line of poetic text organized according to a certain rhythmic pattern ("My uncle of the most honest rules").
The Fyghtynge Seventh
It is the gallant SeventhIt fyghteth faste and free!God wot the where it fyghtethI ne desyre to be.The Gonfalon it flyeth,Seeming a Flayme in Sky;The..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Free Trader's Lament
Oft from a trading-boat I purchased spiceAnd shells and corals, brought for my inspectionFrom the fair tropics-paid a Christian priceAnd was content..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Fountain Refilled
Of Hans Pietro Shanahan(Who was a most ingenious man)The Muse of History recordsThat he'd get drunk as twenty lords.He'd get so truly drunk that..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Foot-Hill Resort
Assembled in the parlorOf the place of last resort,The smiler and the snarlerAnd the guests of every sortThe elocution chapWith rhetoric on tap;The..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Following Pair
O very remarkable mortal,What food is engaging your jawsAnd staining with amber their portal?'It's 'baccy I chaws.'And why do you sway in your..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Fall Of Miss Larkin
Hear me sing of Sally Larkin who, I’d have you understand,Played accordions as well as any lady in the land;And I’ve often heard it stated that her..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Eastern Question
Looking across the line, the Grecian said:'This border I will stain a Turkey red.'The Moslem smiled securely and replied:'No Greek has ever for his..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Dying Statesman
It is a politician manHe draweth near his end,And friends weep round that partisan,Of every man the friend.Between the Known and the UnknownHe lieth..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Division Superintendent
Baffled he stands upon the trackThe automatic switches clack.Where'er he turns his solemn eyesThe interlocking signals rise.The trains, before his..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Debtor Abroad
Grief for an absent lover, husband, friend,Is barely felt before it comes to end:A score of early consolations serveTo modify its mouth's dejected..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Death Of Grant
Father! whose hard and cruel lawIs part of thy compassion's plan,Thy works presumptuously we scanFor what the prophets say they saw.Unbidden still..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Dead King
Hawaii's King resigned his breathOur Legislature guffawed.The awful dignity of deathNot any single rough awed.But when our Legislators dieAll Kings..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Day Of Wrath / Dies Iræ
Day of Satan's painful duty! Dies iræ! dies illa!Earth shall vanish, hot and sooty; Solvet sæclum in favillaSo says Virtue, so says Beauty. Teste..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Cynic's Bequest
In that fair city, Ispahan,There dwelt a problematic man,Whose angel never was released,Who never once let out his beast,But kept, through all the..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Convicts' Ball
San Quentin was brilliant. Within the hallsOf the noble pile with the frowning walls(God knows they've enough to make them frown,With a Governor..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Confederate Flags
Tut-tut! give back the flags - how can you care,You veterans and heroes?Why should you at a kind intention swearLike twenty Neros?Suppose the act was..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Committee On Public Morals
The Senate met in Sacramento city;On public morals it had no committeeThough greatly these abounded. Soon the quietWas broken by the Senators in..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Brothers
Scene-_A lawyer's dreadful den.Enter stall-fed citizen.LAWYER.-'Mornin'. How-de-do?CITIZEN.-Sir, same to you.Called as counsel to retain youIn a case..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Bride
“YOU know, my friends, with what a brave carouseI made a second marriage in my house,—Divorced old barren Reason from my bedAnd took the Daughter of..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Boss's Choice
Listen to his wild romances:He advances foolish fancies,Each expounded as his 'view'Gu.In his brain's opacous clot, ahHe has got a maggot! What aMan..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Birth Of Virtue
When, long ago, the young world circling flewThrough wider reaches of a richer blue,New-eyed, the men and maids saw, manifest,The thoughts untold in..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Birth Of The Rail
DRAMATIS PERSONAE LELAND, THE KID _a Road Agent_COWBOY CHARLEY _Same Line of Business_HAPPY HUNTY _Ditto in All Respects_SOOTYMUG _a..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Barking Weasel
You say, John Irish, Mr. Taylor hathA painted beard. Quite likely that is true,And sure 'tis natural you spend your wrathOn what has been least..
© Ambrose Bierce
The American Party
Oh, Marcus D. Boruck, me hearty,I sympathize wid ye, poor lad!A man that's shot out of his partyIs mighty onlucky, bedad!An' the sowl o' that man is..
© Ambrose Bierce
The Aesthetes
The lily cranks, the lily cranks,The loppy, loony lasses!They multiply in rising ranksTo execute their solemn pranks,They moon along in masses.Blow..
© Ambrose Bierce