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Sonnet - On An Old Book With Uncut Leaves

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

Emblem of blasted hope and lost desire,     No finger ever traced thy yellow page     Save Time's. Thou hast not wrought to noble rage     The hearts thou wouldst have stirred. Not any fire     Save sad flames set to light a funeral pyre     Dost thou suggest. Nay,--impotent in age,     Unsought, thou holdst a corner of the stage     And ceasest even dumbly to aspire.     How different was the thought of him that writ.     What promised he to love of ease and wealth,     When men should read and kindle at his wit.     But here decay eats up the book by stealth,     While it, like some old maiden, solemnly,     Hugs its incongruous virginity!

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"Emblem of blasted hope and lost desire,..."

This evocative piece by Paul Laurence Dunbar, titled "Sonnet - On An Old Book With Uncut Leaves", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:Paul Laurence Dunbar

"Emblem of blasted hope and lost desire,..." by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

Paul Laurence Dunbar

About Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) was an American poet and novelist who was one of the first African-American writers to gain national prominence. His poems in dialect—including "When Malindy Sings"—and standard English explore Black life with humor, pathos, and dignity.

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"As lone I sat one summer's day,     With mien deje..."

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