Cold Iron is a poem written by Rudyard Kipling. Like many of Kipling's works, it is has a strong moral and religious message. The poem tells of a rebellion by a baron who fails, but is ultimately forgiven by his king, who turns out to be an allegory of Jesus Christ.
Gold is for the mistress -- silver for the maid -- / Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade." / "Good!" said the Baron, sitting in his hall, / "But Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of them all."
The baron then goes on to rebel against the king. He is defeated, but the king (who turns out to be Christ himself), forgives him, and the poem ends with the baron's repentance.
"Crowns are for the valiant -- sceptres for the bold! / Thrones and powers for mighty men who dare to take and hold!" / "Nay!" said the Baron, kneeling in his hall, / "But Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of men all! / Iron out of Calvary is master of men all!"
The poem was published in Rewards and Fairies in 1910 as the introduction to a story of the same name.
"Cold Iron", from the Poetry Lover's page.
The poem Cold iron is also a rhythm poem. It has an A A and B B rhythm at the end of every two lines, except for the last three lines of the poem, which has a C C C rhythm to it. Rhythm poetry is the way the words flows with the poem.
In the following, the last stanza of the poem Cold Iron, has the first two lines has A A rhyme and the last three lines has a C C C rhyme:
"Crowns are for the valiant -- sceptres for the bold!
Thrones and powers for mighty men who dare to take and hold!"
"Nay!" said the Baron, kneeling in his hall,
"But Iron -- Cold Iron -- is master of men all!
Iron out of Calvary is master of men all!"
Famous quotes containing the words cold and/or iron:
“The hand holds no chalk
And each part of the whole falls off
And cannot know it knew, except
Here and there, in cold pockets
Of remembrance, whispers out of time.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“Whether our feet are compressed in iron shoes, our faces hidden with veils and masks; whether yoked with cows to draw the plow through its furrows, or classed with idiots, lunatics and criminals in the laws and constitutions of the State, the principle is the same; for the humiliations of the spirit are as real as the visible badges of servitude.”
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902)