Analysis of Barrack-Room Ballads

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



When 'Omer smote 'is bloomin' lyre,
      He'd 'eard men sing by land an' sea;
     An' what he thought 'e might require,
      'E went an' took -- the same as me!

The market-girls an' fishermen,
      The shepherds an' the sailors, too,
     They 'eard old songs turn up again,
       But kep' it quiet -- same as you!

They knew 'e stole; 'e knew they knowed.
      They didn't tell, nor make a fuss,
     But winked at 'Omer down the road,
      An' 'e winked back -- the same as us!


Scheme XAXA XBXB CDCD
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 1101111 11111111 11111110 11110111 01011100 01010101 11111101 11110111 11111111 11011101 11110101 11110111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 494
Words 88
Sentences 5
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 12
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 102
Words per stanza (avg) 29
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 23, 2023

27 sec read
135

Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist chiefly remembered for his tales and poems of British soldiers in India and his tales for children. more…

All Rudyard Kipling poems | Rudyard Kipling Books

33 fans

Discuss this Rudyard Kipling poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Barrack-Room Ballads" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/33154/barrack-room-ballads>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    11
    days
    7
    hours
    5
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "No Man Is An Island"?
    A Ezra Pound
    B John Donne
    C Robert Browning
    D Henry Wadsworth Longfellow