Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE LINCOLN CENT by AMOS RUSSEL WELLS

First Line: PLEASANT IS THE MELLOW TINKLE
Last Line: HATS OFF TO THE LINCOLN CENT!
Subject(s): MONEY;
Pleasant is the mellow tinkle
Of the golden eagle grand,
Pleasant is the kindly jingle
Of good silver in the hand;
But the little bit of copper
On its humble errand bent
Is the king of all our coins:
Hats off to the Lincoln cent!

I am glad they put him on it,
On the lowly copper bit,
Not upon the lordly eagle
For a banker's fingers fit;
For he loved the common people,
And he wished no other fate
Than that common folk should love him,
They, the basis of the state.

But I wish they'd put him on it
Of full length, the Lincoln size,
Tall and gaunt as stands a pine-tree,
Tall and stately for men's eyes.
He was awkward, so they tell me;
Be it so, and who would care
When they saw him like a column
Firm and patient standing there?

So he walks among the people
Much as when he lived on earth,
In the ways of homely traffic,
And of simple, gentle worth.
Still he walks among the people
On our common errands bent,
Copper king of all our coins;
Hats off to the Lincoln cent!



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