Analysis of Who Shall Rule This American Nation?
Henry Clay Work 1832 (Middletown, Connecticut) – 1884 (Hartford, Connecticut)
Who shall rule this American Nation?
Say, boys, say!
Who shall sit in the loftiest station?
Say, boys, say!
Shall the men who trampled on the banner?
They who now their country would betray?
They who murder the innocent freedmen?
Say, boys, say!
"No, never! no, never!"
The loyal millions say;
And 'tis they who rule this American Nation!
They, boys, they!
Who shall rank as the family royal?
Say, boys, say!
If not those who are honest and loyal?
Say, boys, say!
Then shall one elected as our servant,
In his pride, assume a regal sway?
Must we bend to a human Dictator?
Say, boys, say!
Shall we tarnish our national glory?
Say, boys, say!
Blot one line from the wonderful story?
Say, boys, say!
Did we vainly shed our blood in battle?
Did our troops resultless win the day?
Was our time and our treasure all squander'd?
Say, boys, say!
| Scheme | aBaBcbaB cbab dBdBxbcB eBeBdbxB |
|---|---|
| Poetic Form | |
| Metre | 1111010010 111 11100110 111 1011101010 111110101 111001001 111 110110 010101 011111010010 111 1111010010 111 1111110010 111 11101011010 011010101 1111010010 111 11101010010 111 1111010010 111 11101101010 11011101 110101010110 111 |
| Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
| Characters | 818 |
| Words | 155 |
| Sentences | 28 |
| Stanzas | 4 |
| Stanza Lengths | 8, 4, 8, 8 |
| Lines Amount | 28 |
| Letters per line (avg) | 23 |
| Words per line (avg) | 5 |
| Letters per stanza (avg) | 158 |
| Words per stanza (avg) | 38 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 46 sec read
- 60 Views
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"Who Shall Rule This American Nation?" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/17319/who-shall-rule-this-american-nation%3F>.
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