"?" Poem by Robert William Service

"?"

Rating: 3.3


If you had the choice of two women to wed,
(Though of course the idea is quite absurd)
And the first from her heels to her dainty head
Was charming in every sense of the word:
And yet in the past (I grieve to state),
She never had been exactly "straight".

And the second -- she was beyond all cavil,
A model of virtue, I must confess;
And yet, alas! she was dull as the devil,
And rather a dowd in the way of dress;
Though what she was lacking in wit and beauty,
She more than made up for in "sense of duty".

Now, suppose you must wed, and make no blunder,
And either would love you, and let you win her --
Which of the two would you choose, I wonder,
The stolid saint or the sparkling sinner?

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Mohammad Akmal Nazir 15 May 2011

Very rough and conservative theme. I didn't like the poem at all. Moreover I am puzzled how such poems are selected as the poem of the day. It was an absolute nonsense. The question posed by the poet is so ordinary that anyone can answer it without a qualm.

26 29 Reply
Deli honeter 27 February 2022

I somewhat agree I think? The theme/topic was rather dull and slightly feebleminded. Other than that I feel as though if there was a better, more valuable topic here, the writing would be far more pleasant.

7 1
Carmen Cook 15 May 2011

For me indeed poem of my day....wanted to touch on this subject. And definitely worthy of poem of THE Day! ! ! Am new to the site and can't wait to have a look around :) Any tips would be greatly appreciated.......

24 5 Reply
Pranab K Chakraborty 15 May 2011

Intelligent puzzle for the wed-seeker. Better we can ask the God about His attitude about this dillema because we also go to Gods-place to take His blessing before dropping bombs to the other states, so why not here to solve the problem?

22 6 Reply
Ramesh T A 15 May 2010

Nice question the poem has posed at the end! Both are not useful for life!

24 1 Reply
M. Asim Nehal 11 September 2023

I am sure this poem is inspired by his First Love 'Constance MacLean' and his wife 'Parisienne Germaine Bougeoin' and he tried to compare the two. Wise thoughts comes only towards the END.

0 0 Reply
Iman Irfan 25 April 2023

The poem is very open-minded; the question at the end may seem obvious or easy but it is that which makes the poem so different. It allows readers to learn more about themselves and their values and priorities..

3 0 Reply
Iman Irfan 25 April 2023

vv

1 0 Reply
MAHTAB BANGALEE 22 November 2022

just great questionnaire; puzzling the belief and life is!

3 0 Reply
Morgan Ball 23 April 2022

No Experience Needed, No Boss Over il Your FD Shoulder… Say Goodbye To Your Old Job! Limited Number Of Spots Open……. buzz25.com

4 1 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Close
Error Success