Analysis of Memories
Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)
'The eradication of memories of the Great War. -SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT ORGAN
The Socialist Government speaks:
THOUGH all the Dead were all forgot
And razed were every tomb,
The Worm-the Worm that dieth not
Compels Us to our doom.
Though all which once was England stands
Subservient to Our will,
The Dead of whom we washed Our hands,
They have observance still.
We laid no finger to Their load.
We multiplied Their woes.
We used Their dearly-opened road
To traffic with Their foes:
And yet to Them men turn their eyes,
To Them are vows renewed
Of Faith, Obedience, Sacrifice,
Honour and Fortitude!
Which things must perish. But Our hour
Comes not by staves or swords
So much as, subtly, through the power
Of small corroding words.
No need to make the plot more plain
By any open thrust;
But-see Their memory is slain
Long ere Their bones are dust!
Wisely, but yearly, filch some wreath-
Lay some proud rite aside-
And daily tarnish with Our breath
The ends for which They died.
Distract, deride, decry, confuse-
(Or-if it serves Us-pray!)
So presently We break the use
And meaning of Their day!
Scheme | X X ABABCDCD EFEFXGXG HXHXIJIJ XKXKXLXL |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 000101100101110010010 01001001 11010101 0101001 0101111 0111101 11111101 01001101 011111101 110101 11110111 11011 11110101 110111 01111111 111101 11010010 1010 1111011010 111111 1111001010 1111 11110111 110101 11110011 111111 10110111 111101 010101101 011111 01010101 111111 11001101 010111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,085 |
Words | 194 |
Sentences | 13 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 1, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 34 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 144 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 32 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 24, 2023
- 58 sec read
- 137 Views
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"Memories" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/33279/memories>.
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