Analysis of Pro Rege Nostro

William Ernest Henley 1849 (Gloucester) – 1903 (Woking)



WHAT have I done for you,
England, my England?
What is there I would not do,
England, my own?
With your glorious eyes austere,
As the Lord were walking near,
Whispering terrible things and dear
As the Song on your bugles blown, England --
Round the world on your bugles blown!

Where shall the watchful Sun,
England, my England,
Match the master-work you've done,
England, my own?
When shall he rejoice again
Such a breed of mighty men
As come forward, one to ten,
To the Song on your bugles blown, England --
Down the years on your bugles blown?

Ever the faith endures,
England, my England: --
'Take and break us: we are yours,
England, my own!
Life is good, and joy runs high
Between English earth and sky:
Death is death; but we shall die
To the Song on your bugles blown, England --
To the stars on your bugles blown!'

They call you proud and hard,
England, my England:
You with worlds to watch and ward,
England, my own!
You whose mailed hand keeps the keys
Of such teeming destinies,
You could know nor dread nor ease,
Were the Song on your bugles blown, England --
Round the Pit on your bugles blown!

Mother of Ships whose might,
England, my England,
Is the fierce old Sea's delight,
England, my own,
Chosen daughter of the Lord,
Spouse-in-Chief of the ancient Sword,
There's the menace of the Word
In the Song of your bugles blown, England --
Out of heaven on your bugles blown!


Scheme aBaCdddbc eBeCfffBc gBgChhhBc xBiCjjjbc kBkCiixbc
Poetic Form Tetractys  (22%)
Metre 111111 10110 1111111 1011 11100101 1010101 100100101 1011110110 10111101 110101 10110 1010111 1011 1110101 1011101 1110111 1011110110 10111101 100101 10110 1011111 1011 1110111 0110101 1111111 1011110110 10111101 111101 10110 1111101 1011 1111101 1110100 1111111 0011110110 10111101 101111 10110 1011101 1011 1010101 10110101 1010101 0011110110 111011101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,349
Words 258
Sentences 11
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 9, 9, 9, 9, 9
Lines Amount 45
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 212
Words per stanza (avg) 51
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 20, 2023

1:18 min read
135

William Ernest Henley

William Ernest Henley was an English poet, critic and editor, best remembered for his 1875 poem "Invictus". more…

All William Ernest Henley poems | William Ernest Henley Books

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