Analysis of The Press Evangel
John Boyle O'Reilly 1844 (Dowth) – 1890 (Boston)
GOD'S order, 'Light!' when all was void and dark
Brought mornless noon, a flame without a spark.
A gift unearned, that none may hold or hide,
An outer glory, not an inner guide;
But flamed no star in heaven to light the soul
And lead the wayward thought toward Freedom's goal.
O Wasted ages! Whither have ye led
The breeding masses for their daily bread?
Engendered serfs, across a world of gloom,
The wavelike generations reach the tomb.
Masters and lords, they feared a lord's decree,
Nor freedom knew nor truth to make them free.
But hark! A sound has reached the servile herd!
Strong brows are raised to catch the passing word;
From mouth to mouth a common whisper flies;
A wild fire message burns on lips and eyes;
Far-off and near the kindred tidings throng—
How hopes come true, how heroes challenge wrong;
How men have rights above all law's decrees;
How weak ones rise and sweep the thrones like seas!
Behold! The people listen—question! Then
The inner light has come—the boors are men!
What read ye here—a dreamer's idle rule?
A swelling pedant's lesson for a school?
Nay, here no dreaming, no delusive charts;
But common interests for common hearts;
A truth, a Principle—beneath the sun
One vibrant throb—men's rights and wrongs are one.
One heart's small keyboard touches all the notes;
One weak one's cry distends the million throats;
Nor race nor nation bounds the human kind—
White, yellow, black—one conscience and one mind!
How spread the doctrine I See the teachers fly—
The printed messages across the sky;
From land to land, as never birds could wing;
With songs of promise birds could never sing;
With mighty meanings clearing here and there;
With nations' greetings kings could never share;
With new communions whispering near and far;
With gathering armies bent on peace, not war;
With kindly judges reading righteous laws;
With strength and cheer for every struggling cause.
Roll on, O cylinders of light, and teach
The helpless myriads tongue can never reach.
Make men, not masses: pulp and mud unite—
The single grain of sand reflects the light.
True freedom makes the individual free;
And common law for all makes Liberty!
Scheme | AABBCC DDEEFF GGHHIIJJKK LLMMNNOOPP QQRRSSXXXX TTUUFF |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101111101 111010101 0101111111 1101011101 11110101101 01010101101 1101010111 0101011101 0101010111 01010101 1001110101 1101111111 1101110101 1111110101 1111010101 01101011101 1101010101 1111110101 1111011101 1111010111 0101010101 0101110111 111101101 010110101 11110111 110101101 0101000101 1101110111 111110101 111110101 1111010101 1101110011 11010110101 0101000101 1111110111 1111011101 1101010101 1101011101 111100101 11001011111 1101010101 110111001001 1111001101 010111101 111101011 0101110101 1101001001 0101111100 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 2,176 |
Words | 370 |
Sentences | 22 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 10, 10, 10, 6 |
Lines Amount | 48 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 283 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 61 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:53 min read
- 108 Views
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"The Press Evangel" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/22071/the-press-evangel>.
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