Haroun Al Raschid by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Haroun Al Raschid reads verses about vanished rulers and the death awaiting those who choose worldly pleasures. He bows his head, and tears fall on the page.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Moral Poetry · 125 words
First lines
One day, Haroun Al Raschid read / A book wherein the poet said: --
"Where are the kings, and where the rest / Of those who once the world possessed?
"They're gone with all their pomp and show, / They're gone the way that thou shalt go.
"O thou who choosest for thy share / The world, and what the world calls fair,
Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Rhyming couplets recount Haroun Al Raschid's reading and his tearful response.
- Moral Poetry — The quoted verses warn those who choose worldly pleasures that death awaits them.
Tags
mortality · kings · worldly pleasures · reading · tears
What this Textopian page supports
Haroun Al Raschid is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Narrative Poetry, Moral Poetry
- Length: 125 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
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