Analysis of The Birthright

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



The miracle of our land's speech--so known
And long received, none marvel when 'tis shown!

We have such wealth as Rome at her most pride
Had not or (having) scattered not so wide;
Nor with such arrant prodigality,
Beneath her any pagan's foot let lie...
Lo! Diamond that cost some half their days
To find and t'other half to bring to blaze:
Rubies of every heat, wherethrough we scan
The fiercer and more fiery heart of man:
Emerald that with the uplifted billow vies,
And Sapphires evening remembered skies:
Pearl perfect, as immortal tears must show,
Bred, in deep waters, of a piercing woe;
And tender Turkis, so with charms y-writ,
Of woven gold, Time dares not bite on it.
Thereafter, in all manners worked and set,
Jade, coral, amber, crystal ivories, jet,--
Showing no more than various fancies, yet
Each a Life's token or Love's amulet
Which things, through timeless arrogance of use,
We neither guard nor garner, but abuse;
So that our scholars--nay, our children-fling
In sport or jest treasure to arm a King;
And the gross crowd, at feast or market, hold
Traffic perforce with dust of gems and gold!


Scheme AA BBBXCCDDEEFFGGHHHXIIJJKK
Poetic Form
Metre 01001101111 0101110111 1111111011 1111010111 111101 010101111 110111111 11011011111 1011001111 01001100111 10110100101 0100100101 1011010111 1011010101 010111111 1101111111 0100110101 110101011 10111100101 1011011100 1111010011 1101110101 111010110101 0111101101 0011111101 1001111101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,093
Words 196
Sentences 6
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 2, 24
Lines Amount 26
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 432
Words per stanza (avg) 97
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 13, 2023

1:00 min read
168

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

    "The Birthright" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/33377/the-birthright>.

    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
    9
    hours
    25
    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?

    »
    Repeated use of words for effect and emphasis is called ________.
    A rhythm
    B assonance
    C repetition
    D rhyme