Analysis of Virgil Strange I Kept On The Field
VIGIL strange I kept on the field one night:
When you, my son and my comrade, dropt at my side that day,
One look I but gave, which your dear eyes return'd, with a look I
shall never forget;
One touch of your hand to mine, O boy, reach'd up as you lay on the
ground;
Then onward I sped in the battle, the even-contested battle;
Till late in the night reliev'd, to the place at last again I made my
way;
Found you in death so cold, dear comrade--found your body, son of
responding kisses, (never again on earth responding;)
Bared your face in the starlight--curious the scene--cool blew the
moderate night-wind;
Long there and then in vigil I stood, dimly around me the battlefield
spreading;
Vigil wondrous and vigil sweet, there in the fragrant silent
night; 10
But not a tear fell, not even a long-drawn sigh--Long, long I gazed;
Then on the earth partially reclining, sat by your side, leaning my
chin in my hands;
Passing sweet hours, immortal and mystic hours with you, dearest
comrade--Not a tear, not a word;
Vigil of silence, love and death--vigil for you my son and my
soldier,
As onward silently stars aloft, eastward new ones upward stole;
Vigil final for you, brave boy, (I could not save you, swift was your
death,
I faithfully loved you and cared for you living--I think we shall
surely meet again;)
Till at latest lingering of the night, indeed just as the dawn
appear'd,
My comrade I wrapt in his blanket, envelop'd well his form,
Folded the blanket well, tucking it carefully over head, and
carefully under feet; 20
And there and then, and bathed by the rising sun, my son in his
grave, in his rude-dug grave I deposited;
Ending my vigil strange with that--vigil of night and battlefield
dim;
Vigil for boy of responding kisses, (never again on earth
responding;)
Vigil for comrade swiftly slain--vigil I never forget, how as day
brighten'd,
I rose from the chill ground, and folded my soldier well in his
blanket,
And buried him where he fell.
Scheme | ABCDEFGCBHIEJKILAMCNOPCQRSTUVWXYZ1 2 3 K4 5 IBZ2 6 7 |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (24%) |
Metre | 1011110111 1111011111111 111111111011011 11001 1111111111111110 1 11011001001001010 11001011011101111 1 11011111111011 01010100111010 11100110001110 10011 11010101110011010 10 101001011001010 1 1101111001111111 11011000101111101 1011 10110010010101110 1101101 1011010110111101 10 1101001011011101 1010111111111111 1 1100110111101111 10101 1110100101011101 01 11110110010111 1001011011001010 100101 010101101011101 10111110100 101101111011010 1 1011101010100111 010 10111011011001111 10 111011010110101 10 0101111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 2,267 |
Words | 355 |
Sentences | 2 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 45 |
Lines Amount | 45 |
Letters per line (avg) | 34 |
Words per line (avg) | 10 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 1,517 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 443 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 08, 2023
- 1:48 min read
- 146 Views
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"Virgil Strange I Kept On The Field" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/38232/virgil-strange-i-kept-on-the-field>.
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