Analysis of Christian

Ambrose Bierce 1842 (Meigs County) – 1914 (Chihuahua)



I dreamed I stood upon a hill, and, lo!
The godly multitudes walked to and fro
Beneath, in Sabbath garments fitly clad,
With pious mien, appropriately sad,
While all the church bells made a solemn din --
A fire-alarm to those who lived in sin.
Then saw I gazing thoughtfully below,
With tranquil face, upon that holy show
A tall, spare figure in a robe of white,
Whose eyes diffused a melancholy light.
'God keep you, stranger,' I exclaimed. 'You are
No doubt (your habit shows it) from afar;
And yet I entertain the hope that you,
Like these good people, are a Christian too.'
He raised his eyes and with a look so stern
It made me with a thousand blushes burn
Replied -- his manner with disdain was spiced:
'What! I a Christian? No, indeed! I'm Christ.'


Scheme AABBCCAADDEEFFGGHH
Poetic Form
Metre 1111010101 010101101 010101011 1101010001 1101110101 01001111101 1111010001 1101011101 0111000111 110101001 1111010111 1111011101 011010111 1111010101 1111010111 1111010101 0111010111 1101010111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 746
Words 144
Sentences 10
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 18
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 32
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 577
Words per stanza (avg) 139
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

42 sec read
136

Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist. more…

All Ambrose Bierce poems | Ambrose Bierce Books

2 fans

Discuss this Ambrose Bierce poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Christian" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 15 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/1739/christian>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    16
    days
    19
    hours
    1
    minute

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote a famed poem about the Crimean War?
    A Alfred E. Neuman
    B Alfred Douglas
    C Alfred Lord Tennyson
    D Oscar Wilde