Strength through Dedication
At Eton Parry moved to start the task
Of bettering his pieces written there,
An early sign which shows that he would ask
Himself to work perfection through his care
And dent of work, a tough composer from
The start—and strained to win at sports despite
His threatened health. A serious taut drum
Beat rhythms of determination, fight
And victory. He wrote some pieces twice
And three times, more. His muscled heart was weak
But even so his soul was made of gneiss
Or something harder, strong, a rock-like streak.
A ‘Pastoral’ might come of this as sweet
As Samson’s honeycomb, a lion’s treat.