Analysis of To John J. Knickerbocker, Jr.
Eugene Field 1850 (St. Louis) – 1895 (Chicago)
Whereas, good friend, it doth appear
You do possess the notion
To his awhile away from here
To lands across the ocean;
Now, by these presents we would show
That, wheresoever wend you,
And wheresoever gales may blow,
Our friendship shall attend you.
What though on Scotia's banks and braes
You pluck the bonnie gowan,
Or chat of old Chicago days
O'er Berlin brew with Cowen;
What though you stroll some boulevard
In Paris (c'est la belle ville!),
Or make the round of Scotland Yard
With our lamented Melville?
Shall paltry leagues of foaming brine
True heart from true hearts sever?
No--in this draught of honest wine
We pledge it, comrade--never!
Though mountain waves between us roll,
Come fortune or disaster--
'Twill knit us closer soul to soul
And bind our friendships faster.
So here's a bowl that shall be quaff'd
To loyalty's devotion,
And here's to fortune that shall waft
Your ship across the ocean,
And here's a smile for those who prate
Of Davy Jones's locker,
And here's a pray'r in every fate--
God bless you, Knickerbocker!
Scheme | XAXABCBC DADAEFEF GHGHIHIH EAXAEHXH |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 01111101 1101010 11010111 1101010 11110111 1111 01111 10101011 11110101 1101010 1111011 10011110 1111110 0101111 11011101 11001010 11011101 1111110 10111101 111110 11010111 1101010 11110111 01101010 11011111 11010 01110111 1101010 01011111 1101010 0101101001 111100 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,014 |
Words | 182 |
Sentences | 8 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 32 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 204 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 45 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 14, 2023
- 57 sec read
- 56 Views
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"To John J. Knickerbocker, Jr." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/13123/to-john-j.-knickerbocker%2C-jr.>.
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