Analysis of Pennies

Joyce Kilmer 1886 (New Brunswick) – 1918 (Seringes-et-Nesles)



A few long-hoarded pennies in his hand
Behold him stand;
A kilted Hedonist, perplexed and sad.
The joy that once he had,
The first delight of ownership is fled.
He bows his little head.
Ah, cruel Time, to kill
That splendid thrill!

Then in his tear-dimmed eyes
New lights arise.
He drops his treasured pennies on the ground,
They roll and bound
And scattered, rest.
Now with what zest
He runs to find his errant wealth again!

So unto men
Doth God, depriving that He may bestow.
Fame, health and money go,
But that they may, new found, be newly sweet.
Yea, at His feet
Sit, waiting us, to their concealment bid,
All they, our lovers, whom His Love hath hid.

Lo, comfort blooms on pain, and peace on strife,
 And gain on loss.
What is the key to Everlasting Life?
 A blood-stained Cross.


Scheme AABBCCDD EEFFGGH HIIJJKK LMLM
Poetic Form
Metre 0111010011 0111 0110101 011111 010111011 111101 110111 1101 101111 1101 1111010101 1101 0101 1111 1111110101 1101 1101011101 110101 1111111101 1111 1101110101 11101011111 1101110111 0111 110110101 0111
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 771
Words 146
Sentences 14
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 8, 7, 7, 4
Lines Amount 26
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 151
Words per stanza (avg) 36
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

43 sec read
59

Joyce Kilmer

Joyce Kilmer was an American writer and poet mainly remembered for a short poem titled "Trees", which was published in the collection Trees and Other Poems in 1914. more…

All Joyce Kilmer poems | Joyce Kilmer Books

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