Vox Populi by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Traveling westward through Cathay, Mazarvan hears only praises of Badoura; in Khaledan, people talk only of Prince Camaralzaman. The speaker compares this difference to poets who are famous in one province and unknown in another.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Poetry, Metapoetry · 91 words
First lines
When Mazarvan the Magician, / Journeyed westward through Cathay, / Nothing heard he but the praises / Of Badoura on his way.
But the lessening rumor ended / When he came to Khaledan, / There the folk were talking only / Of Prince Camaralzaman,
So it happens with the poets: / Every province hath its own; / Camaralzaman is famous / Where Badoura is unknown.
Genres
- Poetry — Three rhymed quatrains recount a journey and conclude with a comparison about poets.
- Metapoetry — The final stanza explicitly compares differing local reputations to the provincial fame of poets.
Tags
poetic fame · regional reputation · travel · poetry
What this Textopian page supports
Vox Populi is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Metapoetry
- Length: 91 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
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