Analysis of Chevalier
In my spring I set souls free with the Novena on my lips;
Charged through sandy blood-mud, straight out of sun's eclipse.
I prayed up to ancient Sainte, "Begird me and my men..."
Armored 'neath a scarlet croix to negate both spear and sin.
A ringing sword in battle, a slurping sword in meat,
A mounted trumpet charge, trembling pebbles at shod feet.
Homesick hunger learned to sup on bile, blood, and fear.
Imperfect contrition's invention let our sorry minds die clear.
Tired, weak and soulsick, carried back across blue ever,
Once again the heavens lit and lightened the endeavor.
Morning star and her evening self, reflecting my split nature;
I, who heeded Urban's call to seal black sin's erasure.
Blest by familiar bishop once upon my missed homeland,
Released from holy yoke, I ruled again my own swordhand.
Sheathed in dusty corner, waits honed tool of Godlike powers,
Imbued with lost intention, and untouched these many hours.
Somewhere in the arid East a man both forged and beat,
Assumes an eldritch edge that his God findeth unmeet.
No dispensation, Holy See or ordination made by flesh
Can murderous and merciful within one soul enmesh.
At last I captured winter, pious veteran, scars in view.
Earned my ease at land and life, I weekly take the pew.
Absolution long conferred, in peace I keep God's course;
My secret heart still beating sword on buckler high ahorse.
Scheme | AAXX BBCC DDDC XBEE BBFF GGXA |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (83%) |
Metre | 0111111101111 111011111101 111110111011 10101011011101 010101001101 01010110010111 11011111101 010101011010111 1010110101110 10101010100010 101001010101110 111010111111 1101010101111 0111011101111 1010101111110 011101000111010 100101011101 01110111111 10101011010111 11000100011101 111101010100101 1111101110101 010101011111 11011101110011 |
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 1,385 |
Words | 263 |
Sentences | 15 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 46 |
Words per line (avg) | 10 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 182 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 39 |
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"Chevalier" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/172842/chevalier>.
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