Kipling had a real and cruel gift, which I guess he mostly subsumed in
Empire. I think his real gift is in his short stories, but
occasionally, despite himself, he wrote a poem, like this one, which
isn't merely accomplished verse -
The Runes of Weland's Sword
1906
"Old Men at Pevensey"-- Puck of Pook's Hill
A smith makes me
To betray my Man
In my first fight.
To gather Gold
At the world's end
I am sent.
The Gold I gather
Comes into England
Out of deep Water.
Like a shining Fish
Then it descends
Into deep Water.
It is not given
For goods or gear,
But for The Thing.
The Gold I gather
A King covets
For an ill use
The Gold I gather
Is drawn up
Out of deep Water.
Like a shining Fish
Then it descends
Into deep Water.
It is not given
For goods or gear,
But for The Thing.
A
On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 3:36 PM, Frederick Pollack <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_copybook.htm
>
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