{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/the-gates-ajar",
 "title": "The Gates Ajar",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poems of James McIntyre",
 "book_slug": "poems-of-james-mcintyre",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 40,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1889,
  "venue": "Poems of James McIntyre (1889)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 28,
  "n_stanzas": 7,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 42,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "A good kind man who knew no malice,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Happy with wife and daughter Alice,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "More precious far to him than gold,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His little darling six years old.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "True nobleman with many friends,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His career too soon it ends,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The casket friends enshrined with flowers,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "While soul had fled to heavenly bowers.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The wreaths were lovely, but the star,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Admired by all was gates ajar,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The widow led her little girl",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To where death his dart did hurl.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And stricken her poor father down,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But child exclaimed he’s won the crown,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And he will watch for me afar,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And keep for me the gates ajar.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And when we cross the crystal fount,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He will point out the heavenly mount,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Here neither sun nor moon doth shine,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Lighted with radiance all divine.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "For I know well for me he’ll wait",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Anxious at the pearly gate,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For I would fear to view alone",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The glories of the heavenly throne.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Pa will admit his little Alice",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Safe into the heavenly palace,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And glories to me will unfold",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As we tread the streets of gold.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}