Analysis of Has Your Soul Sipped?

Wilfred Owen 1893 (Oswestry) – 1918 (Sambre–Oise Canal)



Has your soul sipped
Of the sweetness of all sweets?
Has it well supped
But yet hungers and sweats?

I have been witness
Of a strange sweetness,
All fancy surpassing
Past all supposing.

Passing the rays
Of the rubies of morning,
Or the soft rise
Of the moon; or the meaning
Known to the rose
Of her mystery and mourning.

Sweeter than nocturnes
Of the wild nightingale
Or than love's nectar
After life's gall.

Sweeter than odours
Of living leaves,
Sweeter than ardours
Of dying loves.

Sweeter than death
And dreams hereafter
To one in dearth
Or life and its laughter.

Or the proud wound
The victor wears
Or the last end
Of all wars.

Or the sweet murder
After long guard
Unto the martyr
Smiling at God;

To me was that smile,
Faint as a wan, worn myth,
Faint and exceeding small,
On a boy's murdered mouth.

Though from his throat
The life-tide leaps
There was no threat
On his lips.

But with the bitter blood
And the death-smell
All his life's sweetness bled
Into a smile.


Scheme ABAX CCDD XDXDXD BXEF BXBX XEXE XXXX EXEX GXFX XXXX XXXG
Poetic Form
Metre 1111 1010111 1111 11101 11110 10110 110010 11010 1001 1010110 1011 1011010 1101 10100010 1011 101100 11110 1011 1011 1101 1011 1101 1011 01010 1101 110110 1011 0101 1011 111 10110 1011 10010 1011 11111 110111 100101 101101 1111 0111 1111 111 110101 0011 111101 0101
Closest metre Iambic dimeter
Characters 931
Words 180
Sentences 12
Stanzas 11
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 46
Letters per line (avg) 17
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 70
Words per stanza (avg) 16
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 01, 2023

55 sec read
119

Wilfred Owen

Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War. more…

All Wilfred Owen poems | Wilfred Owen Books

3 fans

Discuss this Wilfred Owen poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Has Your Soul Sipped?" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/38511/has-your-soul-sipped%3F>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    29
    days
    18
    hours
    5
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    The repetition of similar sounds at the ends of words or within words is known as _______.
    A stanza
    B rhythm
    C rhyme
    D imagery