Analysis of The Disciple

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



He that hath a Gospel
To loose upon Mankind,
Though he serve it utterly--
Body, soul and mind--
Though he go to Calvary
Daily for its gain--
It is His Disciple
Shall make his labour vain.

He that hath a Gospel
For all earth to own--
Though he etch it on the steel,
Or carve it on the stone--
Not to be misdoubted
Through the after-days--
It is His Disciple
Shall read it many ways.

It is His Disciple
(Ere Those Bones are dust )
Who shall change the Charter,
Who shall split the Trust--
Amplify distinctions,
Rationalize the Claim;
Preaching that the Master
Would have done the same.

It is His Disciple
Who shall tell us how
Much the Master would have scrapped
Had he lived till now--
What he would have modified
Of what he said before.
It is His Disciple
Shall do this and more....

He that hath a Gospel
Whereby Heaven is won
( Carpenter, or cameleer,
Or Maya's dreaming son ),
Many swords shall pierce Him,
Mingling blood with gall;
But His Own Disciple
Shall wound Him worst of all!


Scheme AbcbcdAd AexebfAf Aghgxihi AjxjxkAk Alhlxmam
Poetic Form Etheree  (28%)
Tetractys  (25%)
Metre 111010 110111 1111100 10101 1111100 10111 111010 11111 111010 11111 1111101 111101 1111 10101 111010 111101 111010 11111 111010 11101 10010 10001 101010 11101 111010 11111 1010111 11111 111110 111101 111010 11101 111010 011011 10011 11101 101111 100111 111010 111111
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 954
Words 187
Sentences 7
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 40
Letters per line (avg) 19
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 152
Words per stanza (avg) 37
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 26, 2023

56 sec read
301

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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    A Emily Dickinson
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