Analysis of Lay His Sword By His Side
Thomas Moore 1779 (Dublin) – 1852 (Bromham)
Lay his sword by his side -- it hath served him too well
Not to rest near his pillow below;
To the last moment true, from his hand ere it fell,
Its point was still turn'd to a flying foe.
Fellow-labourers in life, let them slumber in death,
Side by side, as becomes the reposing brave --
That sword which he loved still unbroke in its sheath,
And himself unsubdued in his grave.
Yet pause -- for, in fancy, a still voice I hear,
As if breathed from his brave heart's remains; --
Faint echo of that which, in Slavery's ear,
Once sounded the war-word, "Burst your chains."
And it cries, from the grave where the hero lies deep,
"Though the day of your Chieftain for ever hath set,
Oh leave not his sword thus inglorious to sleep --
It hath victory's life in it yet!
"Should some alien, unworthy such weapon to wield,
Dare to touch thee, my own gallant sword,
Then rest in thy sheath, like a talisman seal'd,
Or return to the grave of thy chainless lord.
But, if grasp'd by a hand that hath learn'd the proud use
Of a falchion, like thee, on the battle-plain,
Then, at Liberty's summons, like lightning let loose,
Leap forth from thy dark sheath again!"
Scheme | ABABXCXC DEDEFGFG HIHIJXJX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111111111111 111111001 101101111111 1111110101 10101111001 111101011 1111111011 0011011 11101001111 111111101 110111011 110011111 011101101011 101111011011 111111010011 1111011 1110001011011 111111101 11011101001 1011011111 111101111011 1011110101 111001011011 11111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,158 |
Words | 219 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 36 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 291 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 72 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 29, 2023
- 1:07 min read
- 122 Views
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