The mirror of the times! In golden frame Or homely wood, its honor is the same. A mirror, not a lamp of pulsing light; A mirror, useless in a moral night. But if its back is scratched by carelessness, And if its face is cracked by crude excess, Foul with the breath of greed, or muddied o'er With bigot's passion and with party gore, Though fair its frame and jewelled its renown, It is the most repulsive thing in town! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: GEORGE GRAY by EDGAR LEE MASTERS PLACE FOR A THIRD by ROBERT FROST CACHE LA POUDRE by JAMES GALVIN HIGH PLAINS RAG by JAMES GALVIN WHAT I'VE BELIEVED IN by JAMES GALVIN SORROW SINGERS by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON STUDY FOR A GEOGRAPHICAL TRAIL; 2. ILLINOIS by CLARENCE MAJOR STUDY FOR A GEOGRAPHICAL TRAIL; 4. NEW JERSEY by CLARENCE MAJOR |