Analysis of Schoolmistress

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



Schoolmistress
Having, with bold Horatius, stamped her feet
And waved a final swashing arabesque
O'er the brave days of old, she ceased to bleat,
Slapped her Macaulay back upon the desk,
Resuned her calm gaze and her lofty seat.

There, while she heard the classic lines repeat,
Once more the teacher's face clenched stern;
For through the window, looking on the street,
Three soldiers hailed her. She made no return.
One was called 'Orace whom she would not greet.


Scheme XABABA ACACA
Poetic Form
Metre 1 1011010101 0101011 10011111111 1001010101 101100101 1111010101 11010111 1101010101 1101011101 111111111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 462
Words 81
Sentences 5
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 6, 5
Lines Amount 11
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 185
Words per stanza (avg) 40
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 01, 2023

24 sec read
485

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

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