Analysis of Song Of The Sardine
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
A fat man sat in an orchestra stall and his cheeks were wet with tears,
As he gazed at the primadonna tall, whom he hadn't seen in years.
"Oh don't you remember" he murmured low "that Spring in Montparnasse,
When hand in hand we used to go to our nightly singing class.
Ah me those days so gay and glad, so full of hope and cheer.
And that little super that we had of tinned sardines and beer.
When you looked so like a little queen with your proud and haughty air,
That I took from the box the last sardine and I twined it in your hair."
Alas I am only a stockbroker now while you are high and great,
The laurels of fame adorn your brow while on you Princes wait.
And as I sit so sadly here and list to your thrilling tones,
You cannot remember I sadly fear if my name is Smith or jones.
Yet Oh those days of long ago, when I had scarce a sou.
And as my bitter tears down flow I think again of you.
And once again I seem to see that mad of sweet sixteen,
Within whose tresses tenderly I twined that bright sardine.
Chorus:
Oh that sardine in your hair, I can see it shining there,
As I took it from its box, And I twined it in your locks.
Silver sardine in your hair. Like a jewel rich and rare,
Oh that little silver sardine in your hair.
Scheme | AXAXBBCC DDEEAXFF XCXCC |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 01110110010110111 11110111110101 11101011011101 1101111111010101 11111101111101 011010111110101 1111101011110101 11110101010111011 0111100101111101 010110111111101 011111010111101 11001011011111111 11111101111101 01110111110111 01011111111101 01110100111101 10 11010111111101 11111110111011 10010111010101 11101001011 |
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 1,270 |
Words | 254 |
Sentences | 14 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 5 |
Lines Amount | 21 |
Letters per line (avg) | 46 |
Words per line (avg) | 12 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 319 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 84 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:16 min read
- 50 Views
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"Song Of The Sardine" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/32445/song-of-the-sardine>.
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