Analysis of Hymn Before Action
Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)
The earth is full of anger,
The seas are dark with wrath,
The Nations in their harness
Go up against our path:
Ere yet we loose the legions --
Ere yet we draw the blade,
Jehovah of the Thunders,
Lord God of Battles, aid!
High lust and froward bearing,
Proud heart, rebellious brow --
Deaf ear and soul uncaring,
We seek Thy mercy now!
The sinner that forswore Thee,
The fool that passed Thee by,
Our times are known before Thee --
Lord, grant us strength to die!
For those who kneel beside us
At altars not Thine own,
Who lack the lights that guide us,
Lord, let their faith atone.
If wrong we did to call them,
By honour bound they came;
Let not Thy Wrath befall them,
But deal to us the blame.
From panic, pride, and terror,
Revenge that knows no rein,
Light haste and lawless error,
Protect us yet again.
Cloak Thou our undeserving,
Make firm the shuddering breath,
In silence and unswerving
To taste Thy lesser death!
Ah, Mary pierced with sorrow,
Remember, reach and save
The soul that comes to-morrow
Before the God that gave!
Since each was born of woman,
For each at utter need --
True comrade and true foeman --
Madonna, intercede!
E'en now their vanguard gathers,
E'en now we face the fray --
As Thou didst help our fathers,
Help Thou our host to-day!
Fulfilled of signs and wonders,
In life, in death made clear --
Jehovah of the Thunders,
Lord God of Battles, hear!
Scheme | abcbxdEd fgfghihi cjcjklkl axaxfmfm nonoxpjp eqeqexEx |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 0111110 011111 0100110 1101101 1111010 111101 0101010 111101 110110 110101 1101010 111101 010111 011111 10111011 111111 1111011 110111 1101111 111101 1111111 11111 1111011 111101 1101010 011111 1101010 011101 1110010 1101001 0100010 111101 1101110 010101 0111110 010111 1111110 111101 11011 01001 1111110 1111101 11111010 1110111 0111010 010111 0101010 111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,367 |
Words | 257 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 48 |
Letters per line (avg) | 22 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 176 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 43 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 08, 2023
- 1:17 min read
- 258 Views
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"Hymn Before Action" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/33244/hymn-before-action>.
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