Analysis of The Fourth Shepherd
Joyce Kilmer 1886 (New Brunswick) – 1918 (Seringes-et-Nesles)
(For Thomas Walsh)
On nights like this the huddled sheep
Are like white clouds upon the grass,
And merry herdsmen guard their sleep
And chat and watch the big stars pass.
It is a pleasant thing to lie
Upon the meadow on the hill
With kindly fellowship near by
Of sheep and men of gentle will.
I lean upon my broken crook
And dream of sheep and grass and men --
O shameful eyes that cannot look
On any honest thing again!
On bloody feet I clambered down
And fled the wages of my sin,
I am the leavings of the town,
And meanly serve its meanest inn.
I tramp the courtyard stones in grief,
While sleep takes man and beast to her.
And every cloud is calling "Thief!"
And every star calls "Murderer!"
The hand of God is sure and strong,
Nor shall a man forever flee
The bitter punishment of wrong.
The wrath of God is over me!
With ashen bread and wine of tears
Shall I be solaced in my pain.
I wear through black and endless years
Upon my brow the mark of Cain.
Poor vagabond, so old and mild,
Will they not keep him for a night?
And She, a woman great with child,
So frail and pitiful and white.
Good people, since the tavern door
Is shut to you, come here instead.
See, I have cleansed my stable floor
And piled fresh hay to make a bed.
Here is some milk and oaten cake.
Lie down and sleep and rest you fair,
Nor fear, O simple folk, to take
The bounty of a child of care.
On nights like this the huddled sheep --
I never saw a night so fair.
How huge the sky is, and how deep!
And how the planets flash and glare!
At dawn beside my drowsy flock
What winged music I have heard!
But now the clouds with singing rock
As if the sky were turning bird.
O blinding Light, O blinding Light!
Burn through my heart with sweetest pain.
O flaming Song, most loudly bright,
Consume away my deadly stain!
The stable glows against the sky,
And who are these that throng the way?
My three old comrades hasten by
And shining angels kneel and pray.
The door swings wide -- I cannot go --
I must and yet I dare not see.
Lord, who am I that I should know --
Lord, God, be merciful to me!
O Whiteness, whiter than the fleece
Of new-washed sheep on April sod!
O Breath of Life, O Prince of Peace,
O Lamb of God, O Lamb of God!
Scheme | x Abab cdcd efef ghgh ijij klkl xmxm nono pqpq rsrs Asas tutu omom cvcv wlwl xyxy |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 1101 11110101 11110101 01010111 01010111 11010111 0101101 1101011 11011101 11011101 01110101 11011101 11010101 11011101 01010111 11010101 0111101 1101101 11110110 010011101 010011100 01111101 11010101 01010011 01111101 11010111 1111011 11110101 01110111 11001101 11111101 01010111 11010001 11010101 11111101 11111101 01111101 1111011 11010111 11110111 01010111 11110101 11010111 11011011 01010101 11011101 1110111 11011101 11010101 11011101 11111101 11011101 01011101 01010101 01111101 1111101 01010101 01111101 11011111 11111111 11110011 11010101 11111101 11111111 11111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 2,224 |
Words | 448 |
Sentences | 32 |
Stanzas | 17 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 65 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 99 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 26 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 2:13 min read
- 77 Views
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