Analysis of The Boy Crusader
James Brunton Stephens 1835 (Scotland) – 1902
“Oh father, is that Jerusalem—
Those walls and towers so strong!”
“Ho, boy, we are yet in our own fair France,
That is only Avignon.”
* * * * *
“Oh father, are these the Jordan's banks?
Let us rest in those vineyards fair”
“Ho, boy, these are only the banks of the Rhone,
And we may not linger there.”
* * * * *
“Oh father, I fear them—the waves! the waves!
Is Jerusalem over the sea?”
“Ay, over the sea and then over the hills—
But cling, my boy, to me.”
* * * * *
“Oh father, is that Jerusalem,
Like a shell of gold in the bay?”
Nay, it is only Palermo, boy;
And this is Saint Rosalie's day.”
* * * * *
“Oh father, I feared the sea, but more
I fear this burning sand”
“Good cheer, my boy; take heart of grace,
We tread upon holy land.”
* * * * *
“Oh father, can it be Holy Land,
With all this blood and death?”
“That was Acre we stormed, my boy;
Now let us to Nazareth.”
* * * * *
“Oh father, the hills are so high—so high!
Is Jerusalem very far?”
“Hush, hush, my boy, and I'll tell you the tale
Of the Kings who followed the Star.”
* * * * *
“Oh father, the hills are so steep—so steep!
Will Jerusalem soon be near?”
“Boy, what had it been had you carried the cross,
Instead of your father's spear?”
* * * * *
“Oh father, I am weary and faint;
This must be Calvary!”
“Good cheer, my boy; but one hill more;
Jerusalem is nigh.
“The men-at-arms have passed the ridge.
Hark, boy, how the warriors sing!”
“I only hear the sound of harps,
And waters murmuring.”
‘Wake, boy, this is no time to fail!
Oh best of happy hours!
Behold at length Jerusalem—
Its gates, and domes, and towers!”
“Father, I see Jerusalem,
Ah, nearer than you deem!”
“Your eyes are closed, you see it not,
Or see it in a dream!
“Your eyes are closed, my boy, my boy!
Your face is to the West!”
“Father, I see it overhead,
And, oh, so full of rest!
“There are little children clothed in white,
And angels leading them;
There are streets of gold and gates of pearl!
At last—Jerusalem.
“And our little Marie is beckoning me,
In her hand a diadem.
Father, I must go on before
We'll meet in Jerusalem.”
Scheme | Axxx xbxb xcxc Aded fgxg gxex hiji xkxk xcfh xlxl jmam anxneoxo xpxa cpfa |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 110110100 1101011 11111010111 111010 1 110110101 11101101 11111001101 0111101 1 1101110101 101001001 11001011001 111111 1 110110100 10111001 111100101 011111 1 110110111 111101 11111111 1101101 1 110111101 111101 11101111 1111100 1 1100111111 10100101 1111011101 10111001 1 1100111111 10100111 11111111001 0111101 1 110111001 111100 11111111 010011 01111101 11101001 11010111 010100 11111111 1111010 01110100 1101010 10110100 110111 11111111 111001 11111111 111101 10111101 011111 111010101 010101 111110111 110100 010100111001 001010 10111101 1100100 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 2,285 |
Words | 438 |
Sentences | 37 |
Stanzas | 15 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 1, 4, 5, 5, 4, 4, 8, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 68 |
Letters per line (avg) | 21 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 97 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 39 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 2:13 min read
- 53 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The Boy Crusader" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20029/the-boy-crusader>.
Discuss this James Brunton Stephens poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In