Analysis of Gallio's Song
Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)
And Gallio cared for none of these things. -- Acts xviii. 17
All day long to the judgment-seat
The crazed Provincials drew--
All day long at their ruler's feet
Howled for the blood of the Jew.
Insurrection with one accord
Banded itself and woke,
And Paul was about to open his mouth
When Achaia's Deputy spoke--
"Whether the God descend from above
Or the Man ascend upon high,
Whether this maker of tents be Jove
Or a younger deity--
I will be no judge between your gods
And your godless bickerings.
Lictor, drive them hence with rods--
I care for none of these things!
Were it a question of lawful due
Or Caesar's rule denied,
Reason would I should bear with you
And order it well to be tried;
But this is a question of words and names,
I know the strife it brings.
I will not pass upon any your claims.
I care for none of these things.
One thing only I see most clear,
As I pray you also see.
Claudius Caesar hath set me here
Rome's Deputy to be.
It is Her peace that ye go to break--
Not mine, nor any king's.
But, touching your clamour of 'Conscience sake,'
I care for none of these things.
Whether ye rise for the sake of a creed,
Or riot in hope of spoil,
Equally will I punish the deed,
Equally check the broil;
Nowise permitting injustice at all
From whatever doctrine it springs--
But--whether ye follow Priapus or Paul,
I care for none of these things!"
Scheme | a bcbcxdxd aaaefffG chchigiG xexejgjG klklmgmG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 0111111111 11110101 0111 1111111 1101101 0101101 100101 0110111011 111001 100101101 10101011 101101111 1010100 111110111 01101 111111 1111111 010101101 110101 10111111 01011111 1110101101 110111 1111011011 1111111 11101111 1111101 100101111 110011 110111111 111101 110111101 1111111 1011101101 1100111 100111001 100101 101001011 1101011 110110111 1111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,331 |
Words | 262 |
Sentences | 14 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 41 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 175 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 43 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 01, 2023
- 1:19 min read
- 276 Views
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"Gallio's Song" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/33217/gallio%27s-song>.
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