Analysis of Do Not Cheer, Men Are Dying, Said Capt. Phillips
Do not cheer, for men are dying
From their distant homes in pain;
And the restless sea is darkened
By a flood of crimson rain.
Do not cheer, for anxious mothers
Wait and watch in lonely dread;
Vainly waiting for the footsteps
Never more their paths to tread.
Do not cheer, while little children
Gather round the widowed wife,
Wondering why an unknown people
Sought their own dear father's life.
Do not cheer, for aged fathers
Bend above their staves and weep,
While the ocean sings the requiem
Where their fallen children sleep.
Do not cheer, for lips are paling
On which lay the mother's kiss;
'Mid the dreadful roar of battle
How that mother's hand they miss!
Do not cheer: once joyous maidens,
Who the mazy dance did tread,
Bow their heads in bitter anguish,
Mourning o'er their cherished dead.
Do not cheer while maid and matron
In this strife must bear a part;
While the blow that strikes a soldier
Reaches to some woman's heart.
Do not cheer till arbitration
O'er the nations holds its sway,
And the century now closing
Ushers in a brighter day.
Do not cheer until the nation
Shall more wise and thoughtful grow
Than to staunch a stream of sorrow
By an avalanche of woe.
Do not cheer until each nation
Sheathes the sword and blunts the spear,
And we sing aloud for gladness:
Lo, the reign of Christ is here,
And the banners of destruction
From the battlefield are furled,
And the peace of God descending
Rests upon a restless world.
Scheme | ABCB DEXE FGHG DIXI AJHJ XEXE FKXK FLAL FMMM FXDX FCAX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (82%) |
Metre | 11111110 1110101 00101110 1011101 11111010 1010101 1010101 1011111 11111010 1010101 100110110 1111101 1111110 1011101 101010100 1110101 1111111 1110101 10101110 1110111 11111010 101111 11101010 10101101 11111010 0111101 10111010 1011101 1111010 10010111 00100110 1000101 11101010 1110101 11101110 111011 11101110 1010101 0110111 1011111 00101010 101011 00111010 1010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,446 |
Words | 261 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 44 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 104 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 24 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 30, 2023
- 1:20 min read
- 110 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Do Not Cheer, Men Are Dying, Said Capt. Phillips" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/13711/do-not-cheer%2C-men-are-dying%2C-said-capt.-phillips>.
Discuss this Frances Ellen Watkins Harper poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In