Analysis of Zion
Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)
The Doorkeepers of Zion,
They do not always stand
In helmet and whole armour,
With halberds in their hand;
But, being sure of Zion,
And all her mysteries,
They rest awhile in Zion,
Sit down and smile in Zion;
Ay, even jest in Zion;
In Zion, at their ease.
The Gatekeepers of Baal,
They dare not sit or lean,
But fume and fret and posture
And foam and curse between;
For being bound to Baal,
Whose sacrifice is vain,
Their rest is scant with Baal,
They glare and pant for Baal,
They mouth and rant for Baal,
For Baal in their pain!
But we will go to Zion,
By choice and not through dread,
With these our present comrades
And those our present dead;
And, being free of Zion
In both her fellowships,
Sit down and sup in Zion --
Stand up and drink in Zion
Whatever cup in Zion
Is offered to our lips!
Scheme | ABCBADAAAD EFCFEGEEEG AHXHAIAAAI |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (40%) |
Metre | 01110 11111 0100110 11011 1101110 010100 1101010 1101010 1101010 010111 01011 111111 1101010 010101 110111 11011 111111 110111 110111 11011 1111110 110111 1110101 0110101 0101110 01010 1101010 1101010 101010 1101101 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 799 |
Words | 157 |
Sentences | 4 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 10, 10, 10 |
Lines Amount | 30 |
Letters per line (avg) | 20 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 204 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 52 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 25, 2023
- 47 sec read
- 303 Views
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"Zion" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/33648/zion>.
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