{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/the-weather-wight",
 "title": "The Weather Wight",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Ambrose Bierce",
 "poet_slug": "ambrose-bierce",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Shapes of Clay",
 "book_slug": "shapes-of-clay",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 18,
 "container": "Shapes of Clay",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1903,
  "venue": "Shapes of Clay (1903)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/shapesofclay00bier"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
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  "repo": "standardebooks/ambrose-bierce_poetry",
  "file": "shapes-of-clay.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4793",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12658",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12977",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15599",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof04bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof05bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof08bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/shapesofclay00bier",
   "https://archive.org/details/blackbeetlesinam00bier",
   "https://archive.org/details/literarycalifor05mighgoog",
   "https://archive.org/details/cali07webb"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 94,
  "n_stanzas": 47,
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  "longest_line_chars": 44,
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 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "The way was long, the hill was steep,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "My footing scarcely I could keep.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The night enshrouded me in gloom,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I heard the ocean’s distant boom⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The trampling of the surges vast",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Was borne upon the rising blast.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“God help the mariner,” I cried,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Whose ship to-morrow braves the tide!”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then from the impenetrable dark",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A solemn voice made this remark:",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“For this locality⁠—warm, bright;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Barometer unchanged; breeze light.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Unseen consoler-man,” I cried,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Whoe’er you are, where’er abide,",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Thanks⁠—but my care is somewhat less",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For Jack’s, than for my own, distress.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Could I but find a friendly roof,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Small odds what weather were aloof.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“For he whose comfort is secure",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Another’s pain can well endure.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“The latch-string’s out,” the voice replied,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“And so’s the door⁠—jes’ step inside.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then through the darkness I discerned",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A hovel, into which I turned.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Groping about beneath its thatch,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I struck my head and then a match.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "A candle by that gleam betrayed",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Soon lent paraffinaceous aid.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "A pallid, bald and thin old man",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I saw, who this complaint began:",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Through summer suns and winter snows",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I sets observin’ of my toes.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“I rambles with increasin’ pain",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The path of duty, but in vain.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Rewards and honors pass me by⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "No Congress hears this raven cry!”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Filled with astonishment, I spoke:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Thou ancient raven, why this croak?",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“With observation of your toes",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "What Congress has to do, God knows!",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“And swallow me if e’er I knew",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That one could sit and ramble too!”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "To answer me that ancient swain",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Took up his parable again:",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Through winter snows and summer suns",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A Weather Bureau here I runs.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“I calls the turn, and can declare",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Jes’ when she’ll storm and when she’ll fair.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Three times a day I sings out clear",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The probs to all which wants to hear.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Some weather stations run with light",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Frivolity is seldom right.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“A scientist from times remote,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In Scienceville my birth is wrote.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“And when I h’ist the ‘rainy’ sign",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Jes’ take your clo’es in off the line.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Not mine, O marvelous old man,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The methods of your art to scan,",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Yet here no instruments there be⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Nor ’ometer nor ’scope I see.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Did you (if questions you permit)",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "At the asylum leave your kit?”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "That strange old man with motion rude",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Rose to surprising altitude.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Tools (and sarcazzems too) I scorns⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I tells the weather by my corns.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“No doors and windows here you see⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The wind and m’isture enters free.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“No fires nor lights, no wool nor fur",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Here falsifies the tempercher.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“My corns unleathered I expose",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To feel the rain’s foretellin’ throes.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“No stockin’ from their ears keeps out",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The comin’ tempest’s warnin’ shout.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Sich delicacy some has got",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They know next summer’s to be hot.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“This here one says (for that he’s best):",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "‘Storm center passin’ to the west.’",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“This feller’s vitals is transfixed",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With frost for Janawary sixt’.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“One chap jes’ now is occypied",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In fig’rin on next Fridy’s tide.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“I’ve shaved this cuss so thin and true",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He’ll spot a fog in South Peru.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Sech are my tools, which ne’er a swell",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Observatory can excel.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“By long a-studyin’ their throbs",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I catches onto all the probs.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Much more, no doubt, he would have said,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But suddenly he turned and fled;",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "For in mine eye’s indignant green",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Lay storms that he had not foreseen,",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Concerning which, as Fear appeals,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To Speed, his toes had told his heels.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}