Devil And Tom Walker, Poem Essay, Research Paper

Once there was a man by the name of Tom Walker,

Who had a wife, but lived only to mock her.

They had lived together a few miles from Boston,

In a forlorn-looking house that clearly didn t cost them.

Now, not only would you call this marriage bad,

But the couple cheated each other for anything that could be had.

Now I ll tell you a quick story about money and its deserving,

It s called The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving.

Tom starts us off by taking a short-cut home,

Through the local swamp of moss, quagmires, and foam.

There, he uncovers a murdered scull

And hears the voice of one dark soul.

The figure yells to leave the scull alone,

Which startles Tom and his fear is shown.

The two men begin to talk of treasure, and soon become friends,

But when the stranger departs, into the earth he descends.

Tom then hurries home to tell his curious wife,

Who gathers their possessions and heads out through the night.

Now some say she ran away with a lover,

But the only things that were found were her heart and liver.

Tom then meets with the devil thinking this might be his last chance,

To try for the treasure and thank him for his wife s disappearance.

The devil finally gives in on one condition,

That Tom becomes a Broker of his own financial institution.

Many years pass and Tom becomes a rich man,

From high interest loans and foreclosing unpaid land.

Over time, Tom also becomes a good, church going Christian

Like a guilty child in contradiction.

But his prayers don t help and in the end,

Tom ends-up up like his money, blazing in destruction.