Analysis of Contradictions

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



The drowsy carrier sways
To the drowsy horses' tramp.
His axles winnow the sprays
Of the hedge where the rabbit plays
In the light of his single lamp.

He hears a roar behind,
A howl, a hoot, and a yell
A headlight strikes him blind
And a stench o'erpowers the wind
Like a blast from the mouth of Hell.

He mends his swingle-bar
And loud his curses ring;
But a mother watching afar
Hears the hum of the doctor's car
Like the beat of an angel's wings!

So, to the poet's mood,
Motor or carrier's wan,
Properly understood,
Are neither evil nor good--
Ormuzd not Ahriman!


Scheme ABAAB CDCCD EXEEX XFGGF
Poetic Form Etheree  (25%)
Metre 0101001 1010101 110101 10110101 00111101 110101 0101001 01111 001101 10110111 111101 011101 10101001 10110101 1011111 110101 1011001 10001 1101011 111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 565
Words 109
Sentences 6
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 5
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 110
Words per stanza (avg) 27
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 03, 2023

34 sec read
157

Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist chiefly remembered for his tales and poems of British soldiers in India and his tales for children. more…

All Rudyard Kipling poems | Rudyard Kipling Books

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