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The Egotist Considers
Well,hereweare,yourhundredsheep,
Tuneup,playon,pourforth...wesleep...
Youareastudent,sotheysay;
Youhammeredouttheotherday
Asyllabus,fromwhatweknow
Ofsomeforgottenfolio;
You’dsniffledthroughanera’smust,
Fillingyournostrilsupwithdust,
Andthen,arisingfromyourknees,
Published,inonegiganticsneeze...
Buthere’saneighboronmyright,
AnEagerAss,consideredbright;
Askerofquestions....Howhe’llstand,
Withearnestairandfidgyhand,
Afterthishour,tellingyou
Hesatallnightandburrowedthrough
Yourbook....Oh,you’llbecoyandhe
Willsimulateprecosity,
Andpedantsboth,you’llsmileandsmirk,
Andleer,andhastenbacktowork....
’Twasthisdayweek,sir,youreturned
Athemeofmine,fromwhichIlearned
(Throughvariouscommentontheside
Whichyouhadscrawled)thatIdefied
Thehighestrulesofcriticism
Forcheapandcarelesswitticism....
’Areyouquitesurethatthiscouldbe?’
And
’Shawisnoauthority!’
ButEagerAss,withwhathe’ssent,
Playshavocwithyourbestpercent.
Still—stillImeetyouhereandthere...
WhenShakespeare’splayedyouholdachair,
Andsomedefunct,moth-eatenstar
Enchantsthementalprigyouare...
Aradicalcomesdownandshocks
Theatheisticorthodox?
You’rerepresentingCommonSense,
Mouthopen,intheaudience.
And,sometimes,evenchapellures
Thatconscioustoleranceofyours,
Thatbroadandbeamingviewoftruth
(IncludingKantandGeneralBooth...)
Andsofromshocktoshockyoulive,
Ahollow,paleaffirmative...
Thehour’sup...