Analysis of Censor Literarum
Ambrose Bierce 1842 (Meigs County) – 1914 (Chihuahua)
So, Parson Stebbins, you've released your chin
To say that here, and here, we press-folk ail.
'Tis a great thing an editor to skin
And hang his faulty pelt upon a nail
(If over-eared, it has, at least, no tail)
And, for an admonition against sin,
Point out its maculations with a rod,
And act, in short, the gentleman of God.
'Twere needless cruelty to spoil your sport
By comment, critical or merely rude;
But you, too, have, according to report,
Despite your posing as a holy dude,
Imperfect spiritual pulchritude
For so severe a judge. May't please the court,
We shall appeal and take our case at once
Before that higher court, a taller dunce.
Sir, what were _you_ without the press? What spreads
The fame of your existence, once a week,
From the Pacific Mail dock to the Heads,
Warning the people you're about to wreak
Upon the human ear your Sunday freak?
Whereat the most betake them to their bed
Though some prefer to slumber in the pews
And nod assent to your hypnotic views.
Unhappy man! can you not still your tongue
When (like a luckless brat afflict with worms,
By cruel fleas intolerably stung,
Or with a pang in its small lap) it squirms?
Still must it vulgarize your feats of lung?
No preaching better were, the sun beneath,
If you had nothing there behind your teeth.
Scheme | ABABBACC DEDECDFF GHGHHXII JKJKJLL |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101010111 1111011111 1011110011 0111010101 1101111111 011010011 1111101 0101010011 110101111 1101001101 1111010101 0111010101 01010001 11010111101 11010110111 0111010101 1101010111 0111010101 1001011101 1001010111 010101111 101011111 1101110001 0101110101 0101111111 1101010111 1101010001 1101011111 11111111 1101000101 1111010111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,261 |
Words | 234 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 7 |
Lines Amount | 31 |
Letters per line (avg) | 32 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 250 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 58 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:11 min read
- 116 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Censor Literarum" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/1737/censor-literarum>.
Discuss this Ambrose Bierce poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In