Analysis of The Centaurs
Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)
Up came the young Centaur-colts from the plains they were
fathered in--
Curious, awkward, afraid.
Burrs on their hocks and their tails, they were branded and gathered in
Mobs and run up to the yard to be made.
Starting and shying at straws, with sidlings and plungings,
Buckings and whirlings and bolts;
Greener than grass, but full-ripe for their bridling and lungings,
Up to the yards and to Chiron they bustled the colts...
First the light web and the cavesson; then the linked keys
To jingle and turn on the tongue. Then, with cocked ears,
The hours of watching and envy, while comrades at ease
Passaged and backed, making naught of these terrible gears.
Next, over-pride and its price at the low-seeming fence
Too oft and too easily taken -- the world-beheld fall!
And none in the yard except Chiron to doubt the immense,
Irretrievable shame of it all!...
Last, the trained squadron, full-charge -- the sound of a going
Through dust and spun clods, and strong kicks, pelted in as
they went,
And repaid at top-speed; till the order to halt without slowing
Showed every colt on his haunches--and Chiron content!
Scheme | XABAB CCCC CCCC CDCD ECFEF |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11011110110 100 1001001 111101110100100 1011101111 10010111101 10101 101111111101 110101101101 10110011011 110011011111 0101100101111 101101111001 1101011101101 1101100100111 01001011011001 11111 1011011011010 110110111001 11 0011111010110110 1100111101010 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,101 |
Words | 194 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 4, 4, 4, 5 |
Lines Amount | 22 |
Letters per line (avg) | 40 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 175 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 38 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 58 sec read
- 111 Views
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