Analysis of What We Want

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



We have scores of temperance men,
Bold and earnest, brave and true,
Fighting with the tongue and pen,
And we value what they do.
But, my friends,
To gain our ends,
You must use the ballot, too.

When we tell about our cause,
Politicians only smile;
While they mould and make our laws,
What care they for rank or file?
"Preach and pray,"
They sneer and say;
"We'll make liquor laws the while."

We want men who dare to fling
Party ties and bonds away;
Who will cast them off, and cling
To the RIGHT, and boldly say,
"No beer bloats
Shall get our votes."
Then shall our cause gain the day.


Scheme ABABCCB XDXDEED FEFEGGE
Poetic Form
Metre 11111001 1010101 1010101 0110111 111 11101 1110101 11101101 010101 11101101 1111111 101 1101 1110101 1111111 1010101 1111101 1010101 111 11101 11101101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 591
Words 117
Sentences 7
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 7, 7, 7
Lines Amount 21
Letters per line (avg) 21
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 148
Words per stanza (avg) 37
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

34 sec read
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Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. more…

All Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems | Ella Wheeler Wilcox Books

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