Analysis of The Bunyip



Oh, came you up by the place of dread
(west red, and the moon low down)
where no winds blow and the birds have fled
and the gum stands dead and its arms gleam white,
and the tribe sneak by with a stealthy tread
in the ghostly light,in the ghostly light.
Brave Worraland went one grey nightfall
(A woi! woi!) where the grim rocks frown;
he came no more to the camps at all
(Skies dark, and the moon low down).

As we came up by the gully side
(Deep dusk, and the moon low down)
A Dingo whined and a Curlew cried
and the reeds replied as in hushed affright
where tall brae Worraland screamed and died
in the ghostly light, in the ghostly light.
For the Thing lurks there in the haunted place
(A woi! woi!) where the pool is brown,
where lost ones vanish and leave no trace
(Day dead, and the moon low down).

Of, go not by near the bunyip's lair
(Stars dim, and the moon low down)
or tip-toe past and beware, beware
the dark pool snare and be set for flight,
for things of terror have happened there
in the ghostly light, in the ghostly light
and in the gunyas we crouch and hark
(A woi! woi!) where the dead men drown
The monster's bellow across the dark
(Stars gone, and the moon low down).


Scheme abacacdbdb ebeaeCfbfb gbgcgChbhb
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 111110111 1100111 111100111 0011101111 0011110101 001010101 111111 01110111 111110111 1100111 111110101 1100111 01010011 001011011 1111101 0010100101 1011100101 01110111 111100111 1100111 11111011 1100111 111100101 011101111 111101101 0010100101 00011101 01110111 01100101 1100111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,167
Words 238
Sentences 12
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 10, 10, 10
Lines Amount 30
Letters per line (avg) 30
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 303
Words per stanza (avg) 77
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:12 min read
53

James Martin Devaney

James Martin Devaney was an Australian poet, novelist, and journalist. more…

All James Martin Devaney poems | James Martin Devaney Books

0 fans

Discuss this James Martin Devaney poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Bunyip" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20270/the-bunyip>.

    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.
    24
    days
    22
    hours
    11
    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 is considered to be the greatest poet of Russia’s golden age?
    A Leo Tolstoy
    B Charles Baudelaire
    C Vladimir Mayakovsky
    D Alexander Pushkin