Analysis of Ignis Fatuus

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



Weep, weep, each loyal partisan,
For Buckley, king of hearts;
A most accomplished man; a man
Of parts-of foreign parts.

Long years he ruled with gentle sway,
Nor grew his glory dim;
And he would be with us to-day
If we were but with him.

Men wondered at his going off
In such a sudden way;
'Twas thought, as he had come to scoff
He would remain to prey.

Since he is gone we're all agreed
That he is what men call
A crook: his very steps, indeed,
Are bent-to Montreal.

So let our tears unhindered flow,
Our sighs and groans have way:
It matters not how much we Oh!
The devil is to pay.


Scheme XAXA BCBC DBDB EFEF GBGB
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 11110100 110111 01010101 111101 11111101 111101 01111111 110111 11011101 010101 11111111 110111 11111101 111111 01110101 11101 111010101 1010111 11011111 010111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 573
Words 117
Sentences 7
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 89
Words per stanza (avg) 23
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 03, 2023

35 sec read
76

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

    "Ignis Fatuus" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/1805/ignis-fatuus>.

    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!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    1
    day
    13
    hours
    52
    minutes

    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 the poem "A Dream Within A Dream"?
    A Percy Bysshe Shelley
    B William Blake
    C Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    D Edgar Allan Poe