Fetters

Arthur O'Shaughnessy

1844 to 1881

Poem Image
Track 1

Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.

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Rends from my heart itself a part of me.
I have but multiplied the means of pain;
The cadence chains me to the melody, 
And for my mouth the first kiss did as much.
A thousand ties too poignant or too brief 
Truth by its light, the Unknown by its veil — 
All things with equal power my heart have won — 
And to each star a silken thread more frail.
In too much seeking love I found but grief; 
Captive of all fair things I feel or see; 
A tenuous gold thread binds me to the sun, 
My life now hangs upon these fragile threads, 
One smile soon robbed my eye of liberty, 
Its velvet softness to the rose I touch; 
Bind me to things that love not back again.
Each breath that change or trouble o'er them sheds