Analysis of On The Gallows
Jonathan Swift 1667 (Dublin) – 1745 (Ireland)
There is a gate, we know full well,
That stands 'twixt Heaven, and Earth, and Hell,
Where many for a passage venture,
Yet very few are fond to enter:
Although 'tis open night and day,
They for that reason shun this way:
Both dukes and lords abhor its wood,
They can't come near it for their blood.
What other way they take to go,
Another time I'll let you know.
Yet commoners with greatest ease
Can find an entrance when they please.
The poorest hither march in state
(Or they can never pass the gate)
Like Roman generals triumphant,
And then they take a turn and jump on't,
If gravest parsons here advance,
They cannot pass before they dance;
There's not a soul that does resort here,
But strips himself to pay the porter.
Scheme | AABBCCDEFFGGHHIJKKLB |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (30%) Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 11011111 111100101 110101010 110111110 1110101 11110111 11010111 11111111 11011111 01011111 11001101 11110111 01010101 11110101 110100010 0111010111 11010101 11010111 110111011 110111010 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 712 |
Words | 136 |
Sentences | 5 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 20 |
Lines Amount | 20 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 562 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 134 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 42 sec read
- 103 Views
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"On The Gallows" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/24300/on-the-gallows>.
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