TO PONDER

THE DONKEY BY G.K. CHESTERTON

WHEN FISHES FLEW AND FORESTS WALKED,
AND FIGS GREW UPON THORN,
SOME MOMENT WHEN THE MOON WAS BLOOD,
THEN SURELY I WAS BORN.

WITH MONSTROUS HEAD AND SICKENING CRY,
AND EARS LIKE ERRANT WINGS,
THE DEVIL'S WALKING PARODY
OF ALL FOUR-FOOTED THINGS.

THE TATTERED OUTLAW OF THE EARTH,
OF ANCIENT CROOKED WILL;
STARVE, SCOURGE, DERIDE ME: I AM DUMB,
I KEEP MY SECRET STILL.

FOOLS! FOR I ALSO HAD MY HOUR,
ONE FAR FIERCE HOUR AND SWEET:
THERE WAS A SHOUT ABOUT MY EARS,
AND PALMS BEFORE MY FEET.

SUCH POETRY ABOUT PATHOS AND TRIUMPH TOUCHES THE SOUL. THE PATHOS IS OF SUBMISSION NOT CONQUEST; THE TRIUMPH IS OF SUBMISSION TO THE DIVINE. WHO AMONG US HAS NOT FELT - AT SOME TIME OR OTHER - HOW UGLY WE ARE, HOW UNDESERVING, SAD? YET WHO HAS NOT ALSO FELT THAT IMMINENT MOMENT WHEN BITING TEARS WELL UP - IN GUILT OR SWEET VICTORY OR A RUSH OF PLEASURE?

A RHYTHM OF IAMBIC PENTAMETER, 4 SHORT LONG SYLLABLES, "FISH..FLEW..FOR..WALK", ALTERNATE WITH IAMBIC TRIMETER, 3 SHORT LONG SYLLABLES, "EARS..ERR..WINGS", A RHYME SCHEME ABCB WHERE 2ND AND 4TH LINES RHYME IN EACH STANZA. FIGURES OF SPEECH SUCH AS A SIMILE ERRANT WINGS. METAPHOR, OUTLAW OF THE EARTH, ALLITERATION, F..AR, F..IERCE, PERSONIFICATION, DONKEY SPEAKS IN 1ST PERSON. THE AUTHOR'S THEME INFERS THAT THE DONKEY'S PLIGHT ON EARTH MIMICS THAT OF JESUS WHO FACED SIMILAR TREATMENTS AND FEELINGS. EMPATHY IS ESTABLISHED WITH THE DONKEY AND CHRIST. JESUS' BIRTH MARKED A TIME OF MIRACLES SUCH AS WHEN FORESTS WALKED. THE AFFECTIVE POWER OF A POEM IS WHAT ULTIMATELY DEFINES IT.