Analysis of Abel And Cain

Charles Baudelaire 1821 (Paris) – 1867 (Paris)



Race of Abel, sleep and eat;
God smiles on you complacently.

Race of Cain, in mud and filth
You crawl and die in misery.

Abel's race, your sacrifice
Smells sweet to all the Seraphim!

Race of Cain, your punishment,
Will it be ever at an end?

Race of Abel, see your seed,
Your flocks, your cattle come to good;

Race of Cain, like some old dog
Your empty entrails howl for food.

Race of Abel, warm your belly
By the hearth of countrymen;

Race of Cain, you tremble, freezing,
Lonely jackal, in your den!

Race of Abel, multiply
Even your gold proliferates;

Race of Cain, a burning heart,
Take guard against your appetites.

Race of Abel, chew and swell
Like insects swarming through the woods!

Race of Cain, in deep distress
Your people lag on stony roads.

Race of Abel, see your shame:
The plough is conquered by the pike!

Cain, your modem progeny
Have just begun to do your work;

Race of Abel, carrion,
Manure to feed the steaming sod!

Race of Cain, assault the skies
And drag him earthward - bring down God!


Scheme XA XA XB XX XX XX AX XX XX XX XX XX BX AX XC XC
Poetic Form
Metre 1110101 11110100 1110101 11010100 11110 111101 1111100 11110111 1110111 11110111 1111111 11010111 11101110 1011100 11111010 1010011 111010 1011010 1110101 1101110 1110101 1110101 1110101 11011101 1110111 01110101 1110100 11011111 1110100 01110101 1110101 0111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,032
Words 205
Sentences 14
Stanzas 16
Stanza Lengths 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 49
Words per stanza (avg) 12
Font size:
 

Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:01 min read
31

Charles Baudelaire

Charles Pierre Baudelaire was a French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. more…

All Charles Baudelaire poems | Charles Baudelaire Books

4 fans

Discuss this Charles Baudelaire poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Abel And Cain" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/54866/abel-and-cain>.

    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
    11
    hours
    51
    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 female American poet, who was little-known during her lifetime, but had nearly 1800 of her poems published posthumously, rarely titled her poems?
    A Amy Lowell
    B Emily Dickinson
    C Sara Teasdale
    D Sylvia Plath