Analysis of A King in Exile

Victor James Daley 1858 – 1905



O THE Queen may keep her golden
   Crown and sceptre of command!
I would give them both twice over
   To be King of Babyland.
Sure, it is a wondrous country
   Where the beanstalks grow apace,
And so very near the moon is
   You could almost stroke her face.

And the dwellers in that country
   Hold in such esteem their King,
They believe that if he chooses
   He can do—just anything!

And, although his regal stature
   May be only four-feet-ten,
Think him tallest, strongest, bravest,
   Noblest, wisest, best of men.

Ah, how fondly I remember
   The good time serene and fair,
In the bygone years when I, too,
   Was a reigning monarch there!

But my subjects they discrowned me
   When they’d older, colder, grown;
And they took away my sceptre,
   And upset my royal throne.

Yet, although a King in Exile,
   Without subjects to command,
I am glad at heart to think I
   Once was King of Babyland.


Scheme XABACDXD CEXE BFXF BGXG CHBH XAXA
Poetic Form
Metre 10111010 1010101 11111110 11111 11101010 101101 01101011 111101 00100110 1010111 10111110 111110 0111010 1110111 11101010 1010111 11101010 0110101 0011111 101011 1110111 1110101 01101110 0011101 110101 0110101 11111111 11111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 893
Words 159
Sentences 9
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 8, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 28
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 112
Words per stanza (avg) 26
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

47 sec read
30

Victor James Daley

Victor James William Patrick Daley was an Australian poet. more…

All Victor James Daley poems | Victor James Daley Books

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