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").
Magnanimity
'To the will of the people we loyally bow!'That's the minority shibboleth now.O noble antagonists, answer me flatWhat would you do if you didn't do..
© Ambrose Bierce
Mad
O ye who push and fightTo hear a wanton singWho utter the delightThat has the bogus ring,O men mature in years,In understanding young,The membranes..
© Ambrose Bierce
Lusus Politicus
Come in, old gentleman. How do you do?Delighted, I'm sure, that you've called.I'm a sociable sort of a chap and youAre a pleasant-appearing person..
© Ambrose Bierce
Lucifer Of The Torch
O Reverend Ravlin, once with sounding lungYou shook the bloody banner of your tongue,Urged all the fiery boycotters afieldAnd swore you'd rather..
© Ambrose Bierce
Llewellen Powell
Villain, when the word is spoken,And your chains at last are brokenWhen the gibbet's chilling shadeCeases darkly to enfold you,And the angel who..
© Ambrose Bierce
Liberty
''Let there be Liberty!' God said, and, lo!The red skies all were luminous. The glowStruck first Columbia's kindling mountain peaksOne hundred and..
© Ambrose Bierce
Laus Lucis
Each to his taste: some men prefer to playAt mystery, as others at piquet.Some sit in mystic meditation; someParade the street with tambourine and..
© Ambrose Bierce
L'Audace
Daughter of God! Audacity divineOf clowns the terror and of brains the signNot thou the inspirer of the rushing fool,Not thine of idiots the vocal..
© Ambrose Bierce
Justice
Jack Doe met Dick Roe, whose wife he loved,And said: 'I will get the best of him.'So pulling a knife from his boot, he shovedIt up to the hilt in the..
© Ambrose Bierce
Judgment
I drew aside the Future's veilAnd saw upon his bierThe poet Whitman. Loud the wailAnd damp the falling tear.'He's dead-he is no more!' one cried,With..
© Ambrose Bierce
Judex Judicatus
Judge Armstrong, when the poor have sought your aid,To be released from vows that they have madeIn haste, and leisurely repented, you,As stern as..
© Ambrose Bierce
Johndonkey
Thus the poor ass whose appetite has ne'erKnown than the thistle any sweeter fareThinks all the world eats thistles. Thus the clown,The wit and..
© Ambrose Bierce
James L. Flood
As oft it happens in the youth of dayThat mists obscure the sun's imperfect ray,Who, as he's mounting to the dome's extreme,Smites and dispels them..
© Ambrose Bierce
J.F.B.
How well this man unfolded to our viewThe world's beliefs of Death and Heaven and HellThis man whose own convictions none could tell,Nor if his maze..
© Ambrose Bierce
Invocation
Goddess of Liberty! O thouWhose tearless eyes behold the chain,And look unmoved upon the slain,Eternal peace upon thy brow,-Before thy shrine the..
© Ambrose Bierce
Inspiration
O hoary sculptor, stay thy hand:I fain would view the lettered stone.What carvest thou?-perchance some grandAnd solemn fancy all thine own.For oft to..
© Ambrose Bierce
Industrial Discontent
As time rolled on the whole world came to beA desolation and a darksome curse;And some one said: 'The changes that you seeIn the fair frame of..
© Ambrose Bierce
Indicted
Dear Bruner, once we had a little talk(That is to say, 'twas I did all the talking)About the manner of your moral walk:How devious the trail you made..
© Ambrose Bierce
Incurable
From pride, joy, hate, greed, melancholyFrom any kind of vice, or folly,Bias, propensity or passionThat is in prevalence and fashion,Save one, the..
© Ambrose Bierce
In Upper San Francisco
I heard that Heaven was bright and fair,And politicians dwelt not there. ‘Twas said by knowing ones that theyWere in the Elsewhere-so to say. So..
© Ambrose Bierce
In The Binnacle
The Church's compass, if you please,Has two or three (or more) degreesOf variation;And many a soul has gone to griefOn this or that or t'other..
© Ambrose Bierce
In Memoriam
Beauty (they called her) wasn't a maidOf many things in the world afraid.She wasn't a maid who turned and fledAt sight of a mouse, alive or dead.She..
© Ambrose Bierce
In His Hand
De Young (in Chicago the story is told)'Took his life in his hand,' like a warrior bold,And stood before Buckley-who thought him behind,For Buckley..
© Ambrose Bierce
In High Life
Sir Impycu Lackland, from over the sea,Has led to the altar Miss Bloatie Bondee.The wedding took place at the Church of St. Blare;The fashion, the..
© Ambrose Bierce
In Defense
You may say, if you please, Johnny Bull, that our girlsAre crazy to marry your dukes and your earls;But I’ve heard that the maids of your own little..
© Ambrose Bierce