Analysis of The Barking Weasel
Ambrose Bierce 1842 (Meigs County) – 1914 (Chihuahua)
You say, John Irish, Mr. Taylor hath
A painted beard. Quite likely that is true,
And sure 'tis natural you spend your wrath
On what has been least merciful to you.
By Taylor's chin, if I am not mistaken,
You like a rat have recently been shaken.
To wear a beard of artificial hue
May be or this or that, I know not what;
But, faith, 'tis better to be black-and-blue
In beard from dallying with brush and pot
Than to be so in body from the beating
That hardy rogues get when detected cheating.
You're whacked about the mazzard rather more
Of late than any other man in town.
Certes your vulnerable back is sore
And tender, too, your corrigible crown.
In truth your whole periphery discloses
More vivid colors than a bed of posies!
You call it glory! Put your tongue in sheath!
Scars got in battle, even if on the breast,
May be a shameful record if, beneath,
A robber heart a lawless strife attest.
John Sullivan had wounds, and Paddy Ryan
Nay, as to that, even Masten has, and Bryan.
'Tis willingly conceded you've a knack
At holding the attention of the town;
The worse for you when you have on your back
What did not grow there-prithee put it down!
For pride kills thrift, and you lack board and lodging,
Even while the brickbats of renown you're dodging.
Scheme | ABABCC BXBXDD EFEFGG HIHICC JFJFDD |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) Etheree (20%) |
Metre | 1111010101 0101110111 0111001111 1111110011 11011111010 11011100110 110110101 1111111111 1111011101 01111101 11110101010 11011101010 110101101 1111010101 111000111 0101110001 01110100010 1101010111 1111011101 11010101101 1101001101 0101010101 11001101010 111110101010 1100010101 1100010101 0111111111 111111111 11110111010 10101101110 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,236 |
Words | 235 |
Sentences | 15 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 30 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 196 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 47 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:11 min read
- 132 Views
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"The Barking Weasel" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/1906/the-barking-weasel>.
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