Analysis of Carry On
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
It's easy to fight when everything's right,
And you're mad with the thrill and the glory;
It's easy to cheer when victory's near,
And wallow in fields that are gory.
It's a different song when everything's wrong,
When you're feeling infernally mortal;
When it's ten against one, and hope there is none,
Buck up, little soldier, and chortle:
Carry on! Carry on!
There isn't much punch in your blow.
You're glaring and staring and hitting out blind;
You're muddy and bloody, but never you mind.
Carry on! Carry on!
You haven't the ghost of a show.
It's looking like death, but while you've a breath,
Carry on, my son! Carry on!
And so in the strife of the battle of life
It's easy to fight when you're winning;
It's easy to slave, and starve and be brave,
When the dawn of success is beginning.
But the man who can meet despair and defeat
With a cheer, there's the man of God's choosing;
The man who can fight to Heaven's own height
Is the man who can fight when he's losing.
Carry on! Carry on!
Things never were looming so black.
But show that you haven't a cowardly streak,
And though you're unlucky you never are weak.
Carry on! Carry on!
Brace up for another attack.
It's looking like hell, but -- you never can tell:
Carry on, old man! Carry on!
There are some who drift out in the deserts of doubt,
And some who in brutishness wallow;
There are others, I know, who in piety go
Because of a Heaven to follow.
But to labour with zest, and to give of your best,
For the sweetness and joy of the giving;
To help folks along with a hand and a song;
Why, there's the real sunshine of living.
Carry on! Carry on!
Fight the good fight and true;
Believe in your mission, greet life with a cheer;
There's big work to do, and that's why you are here.
Carry on! Carry on!
Let the world be the better for you;
And at last when you die, let this be your cry:
Carry on, my soul! Carry on!
Scheme | abcbdexe FghhFgxf xixixiai FjkkFjxf xgggxidi FlcxFlxf |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 110111101 0111010010 11011111 010011110 1010011101 1110110 11101101111 111010010 101101 11011011 11001001011 11001011011 101101 11001101 1101111101 10111101 01001101011 110111110 1101101011 1011011010 10111101001 1011011110 0111111011 1011111110 101101 11001011 11111001001 01101011011 101101 11101001 11011111011 10111101 111111001011 0110110 111011101001 011010110 11111011111 1010011010 11101101001 11011110 101101 101101 01011011101 11111011111 101101 101101011 01111111111 10111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,887 |
Words | 360 |
Sentences | 31 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 48 |
Letters per line (avg) | 30 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 237 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 60 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 03, 2023
- 1:56 min read
- 698 Views
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"Carry On" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/32040/carry-on>.
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