Analysis of The Warrior's Prayer
Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906
Long since, in sore distress, I heard one pray,
'Lord, who prevailest with resistless might,
Ever from war and strife keep me away,
My battles fight!'
I know not if I play the Pharisee,
And if my brother after all be right;
But mine shall be the warrior's plea to thee--
Strength for the fight.
I do not ask that thou shalt front the fray,
And drive the warring foeman from my sight;
I only ask, O Lord, by night, by day,
Strength for the fight!
When foes upon me press, let me not quail
Nor think to turn me into coward flight.
I only ask, to make mine arms prevail,
Strength for the fight!
Still let mine eyes look ever on the foe,
Still let mine armor case me strong and bright;
And grant me, as I deal each righteous blow,
Strength for the fight!
And when, at eventide, the fray is done,
My soul to Death's bedchamber do thou light,
And give me, be the field or lost or won,
Rest from the fight!
Scheme | abab xbxB abaB cbcB dbdB ebeb |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain |
Metre | 1101011111 111111 1011011101 1101 11111101 0111010111 111101111 1101 1111111101 010101111 1101111111 1101 1101111111 1111101101 1101111101 1101 1111110101 1111011101 0111111101 1101 01110111 111110111 0111011111 1101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 884 |
Words | 179 |
Sentences | 8 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 29 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 114 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 29 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 23, 2023
- 54 sec read
- 138 Views
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