Analysis of Only A Sod
Henry Lawson 1867 (Grenfell) – 1922 (Sydney)
It's only a sod, but ’twill break me ould heart
Nigh hardened wid toilin’ and carin’,
And make the ould wounds in it tingle and smart.
It’s only a sod, but it’s parcel and part
Of strugglin’, sufferin’ Erin.
It’s only a sod, but it rakes the ould pain —
The ould love in me heart that still lingers,
That Time has been soothing and docth’ring in vain;
And now he must soothe it and heal it again
Wid his kindly and gentle ould fingers.
It’s only a sod, but I see a big ship
Through the gallopin’ waters come tearin’,
And a lass that looks back on the horizon dip,
Wid eyes full of tears and a thrimblin’ lip,
On the last that she saw of ould Erin.
It’s only a sod, but wid care it will keep
Till me brooms and me brushes are silint
Put it into me arms ere they bury me deep,
And tell them old Biddy the “slavey” does sleep
’Neath a sod from the bogs of ould Irlint.
Scheme | ABAAB CDCXD EBEEB FAFFA |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 11001111111 11011010 01011011001 11001111001 11110 11001111011 0110111110 1111100101 01111101101 1110010110 11001111011 1011011 001111100101 111110011 1011111110 11001111111 111011011 110111111011 0111100111 101101111 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 893 |
Words | 177 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 5, 5 |
Lines Amount | 20 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 164 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 44 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 53 sec read
- 57 Views
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