Analysis of The Knitters

Padraic Colum 1881 (County Longford) – 1972 (Enfield)



IN companies or lone
They bend their heads, their hands
They busy with their gear,
Accomplishing the stitch
That turns the stocking-heel,
Or closes up the toe,
These knitters at their doors.
Their talk 's of nothing else
But what was told before
Sundown and gone sundown,
While goats bleat from the hill,
And men are tramping home,
By knitters at their doors.
And we who go this way
A benediction take
From hands that ply this task
For the ten thousandth time
Of knitters at their doors.
Since we who deem our days
Most varied, come to own
That all the works we do
Repeat a wonted toil:
May it be done as theirs
Who turn the stocking-heel,
And close the stocking-toe,
With grace and in content,
These knitters at their doors.
The Charm
Uisge cloiche gan irraidh

WATER, I did not seek you,
Water of hollow stone;
I crossed no one's acre to find you
You were where my geese lie down.

I dip my fingers and sprinkle,
While three times over I say,
'Chance-bound and chance-found water
Can take a numbness away.'

The numbness that leaves me vacant
Of thought and will and deed
Like the moveless clock that I gaze on-
It will go where the ravens breed.

I empty the stone; on the morrow
I shall rise with spirit alive;
Gallant amongst the gallant,
I shall speak and lead and strive.

In search there is no warrant,
By chance is the charm shown:
Water, I did not seek you,
Water of hollow stone!


Scheme axxxbcDxxexxdfxxxdxagxxbcxDxc GAge xfxf hixi cjhj haGA
Poetic Form
Metre 010011 111111 110111 010001 110101 110101 11111 1111101 111101 1011 111101 011101 11111 011111 00101 111111 101101 11111 1111101 110111 110111 01011 111111 110101 010101 110010 11111 01 1111 1011111 101101 111110111 1011111 11110010 1111011 1101110 1101001 01011110 110101 10111111 11110101 110011010 11111001 1001010 1110101 0111110 111011 1011111 101101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,345
Words 261
Sentences 10
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 29, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 49
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 181
Words per stanza (avg) 43
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:18 min read
101

Padraic Colum

Padraic Colum was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. more…

All Padraic Colum poems | Padraic Colum Books

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