Poem · Henry David Thoreau
My life has been the poem
“My life has been the poem” by Henry David Thoreau: full text of the poem (2 lines, 19 words), couplets. Public domain.
My life has been the poem I would have writ,
But I could not both live and utter it.
Typesetting this poem in a book
| Trim (11 pt) | Characters per line | Longest line |
|---|---|---|
| 5 x 8 in | 55 characters | Fits |
| 5.5 x 8.5 in Digest | 62 characters | Fits |
| 6 x 9 in US Trade | 67 characters | Fits |
| 7 x 10 in Executive | 81 characters | Fits |
Poetry should not wrap mid-line; if it must, indent the turnover. See the poetry collection guide.
More poems by Henry David Thoreau
Sources & data
- Text from PoetryDB (public domain).