Looking for a poem?

Question

I'm looking for a poem but I cannot remember either the title or the poet (Whom I remember is a male).
The poem is about a prince who goes into battle, and in the midst of it, a man abandons both his broken sword and the battle. He envies the prince's sword, and exclaims, "But this--blunt thing!--" (This is one of the few lines that I can recall.)

Later, the prince, who is now swordless, wounded, and losing, comes by and sees the broken sword buried, and takes it up and leads his men into victory.
It was a poem I memorized in seventh grade, and I would very much like to read it once more.

Answer 1

I think this is it...

OPPORTUNITY by Edward R. Still

This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream:--
There spread a cloud of dust along a plain;
And underneath the cloud, or in it, raged
A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords
Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince's banner
Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed by foes.

A craven hung along the battle's edge,
And thought, "Had I a sword of keener steel --
That blue blade that the king's son bears -- but this
Blunt thing!" -- he snapped and flung it from his hand.
And lowering crept away and left the field.

Then came the king's son, wounded, sore bested,
And weaponless, and saw the broken sword,
Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand,
And ran and snatched it, and with battle-shout
Lifted afresh he hewed his enemy down,
And saved a great cause that heroic day.

Answer 2

The search for 'But this blunt thing!' matches 2 poets (best match is Karl Shapiro) and 25 poems (best match is 'The Grammar Lesson' by Steve Kowit)

You can do a google search on this.