What is Glory? What is Fame? The echo of a long lost name; A breath, an idle hour's brief talk; The shadow of an arrant nought; A flower that blossoms for a day, Dying next morrow; A stream that hurries on its way, Singing of sorrow; ''" The Lost drop of a bootless shower, Shed on a sere and leafless bower ; A rose, stuck in a dead man's breast ''" This is the World's fame at the best! What is Fame ? and what is Glory? A dream ''" a jester's lying story, To tickle fools withal, or be A theme for second infancy; A joke scrawled on an epitaph; A grin at Death's own ghastly laugh; A visioning that tempts the eye, But mocks the touch ''" nonentity; A rainbow, substanceless as bright, Flitting for ever O'er hill-top to more distant height, Nearing us never; A bubble, blown by fond conceit, In very sooth itself to cheat; The witch-fire of a frenzied brain; A fortune, that to lose were gain; A word of praise, perchance of blame; The wreck of a time-bandied name, ''" Ay, This is Glory! ''" this is Fame! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE POET'S SONG FOR HIS WIFE by BRYAN WALLER PROCTER FRENCH REVOLUTION; AS IT APPEARED TO ENTHUSIASTS AT ITS COMMENCEMENT by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH PRAIRIE MUSIC by NELLIE COOLEY ALDER THE STORY OF ZERBIN AND ISABELLA, FR. ORLANDO FURIOSO by LUDOVICO (LODOVICO) ARIOSTO SPANISH SPRING by JEAN D. ARMSTRONG |