Analysis of Dying in Harness
John Boyle O'Reilly 1844 (Dowth) – 1890 (Boston)
ONLY a fallen horse, stretched out there on the road.
Stretched in the broken shafts, and crushed by the heavy load;
Only a fallen horse, and a circle of wondering eyes
Watching the 'frighted teamster goading the beast to rise.
Hold! for his toil is over—no more labor for him;
See the poor neck outstretched, and the patient eyes grow dim;
See on the friendly stones how peacefully rests the head
Thinking, if dumb beasts think, how good it is to be dead;
After the weary journey, how restful it is to lie
With the broken shafts and the cruel load—waiting only to die.
Watchers, he died in harness—died in the shafts and straps—
Fell, and the burden killed him: one of the day's mishaps—
One of the passing wonders marking the city road—
A toiler dying in harness, heedless of call or goad.
Passers, crowding the pathway, staying your steps awhile,
What is the symbol ? Only death—why should we cease to smile
At death for a beast of burden? On, through the busy street
That is ever and ever echoing the tread of the hurrying feet.
What was the sign? A symbol to touch the tireless will?
Does He who taught in parables speak in parables still?
The seed on the rock is wasted—on heedless hearts of men,
That gather and sow and grasp and lose—labor and sleep— and then—
Then for the prize!—A crowd in the street of ever-echoing tread—
The toiler, crushed by the heavy load, is there in his harness—dead!
Scheme | AABB CCDDEE FFAA GGHH IIJJDD |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 100101111101 1001010110101 100101001011001 100110100111 1111110111011 1011010010111 1101011100101 1011111111111 10010101101111 1010100101101011 1011010100101 100101111011 1101010100101 011001011111 101001101101 11010101111111 11101110110101 111001010001101001 11010101101001 11110100101001 0110111011111 110010101100101 1101010011101001 011101011101101 |
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 1,424 |
Words | 257 |
Sentences | 14 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 6, 4, 4, 6 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 46 |
Words per line (avg) | 11 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 219 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 51 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:17 min read
- 95 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Dying in Harness" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 6 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/21996/dying-in-harness>.
Discuss this John Boyle O'Reilly 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