Analysis of Kyrie

Roger McGough 1937 (Litherland)



There was a porter
who had ideas
high above his railway station
always causing righteous indignation

he wanted to be
giant amongst men
saviour come again to earth
but his teachings only met with mirth

one bright winters morn
packed in his job
believed the world needed him
dedicated his life to fighting sin

the second day out
crossing the road
apparently in Stockport town
a diesel lorry swerved and knocked him down

back at the station
all the porters
wore mourning masks on their faces
and all agredd he should have stuck to cases


Scheme XABB XXCC XXXX XXDD BXAA
Poetic Form Tetractys  (30%)
Etheree  (30%)
Metre 11010 11010 1011110 11010010 11011 10011 110111 111010111 11101 1011 0101101 1000111101 01011 1001 0100011 0101010111 11010 1010 11011110 0111111110
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 514
Words 95
Sentences 1
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 88
Words per stanza (avg) 19
Font size:
 

Submitted by RobertHaigh on June 10, 2020

Modified on March 25, 2023

28 sec read
74

Roger McGough

Roger McGough was born in Liverpool and educated at St Mary's College and the University of Hull. He has been a writer for many years, and his numerous collections have established him as one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in contemporary poetry. more…

All Roger McGough poems | Roger McGough Books

2 fans

Discuss this Roger McGough poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Kyrie" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/53630/kyrie>.

    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!

    June 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    28
    days
    7
    hours
    4
    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?

    »
    Which poet is associated with the poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?
    A Langston Hughes
    B Ralph Waldo Emerson
    C Maya Angelou
    D Emily Dickinson