There came an Old Soldier to my door, Asked a crust, and asked no more; The wars had thinned him very bare, Fighting and marching everywhere, With a Fol rol dol rol di do. With nose stuck out, and cheek sunk in, A bristling beard upon his chin -- Powder and bullets and wounds and drums Had come to that Soldier as suchlike comes -- With a Fol rol dol rol di do. 'Twas sweet and fresh with blossoming May, Flowers springing from every spray; And when he had supped the Old Soldier trolled The song of youth that never grows old, Called Fol rol dol rol di do. Most of him rags, and all of him lean, And the belt round his belly drawn tightly in, He lifted his peaked old grizzled head, And these were the very same words he said -- A Fol-rol-dol-rol-@3di@1-do. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A DEATH IN THE DESERT by ROBERT BROWNING THE ARROW AND THE SONG by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW LONE DOG by IRENE RUTHERFORD MCLEOD EDEN BOWER by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI ON A PIECE OF TAPESTRY by GEORGE SANTAYANA THE YOUTH WITH RED-GOLD HAIR by EDITH SITWELL AT FLORENCE by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH |