Analysis of Jaws

Carl Sandburg 1878 (Galesburg) – 1967 (Flat Rock)



Seven nations stood with their hands on the jaws of death.
It was the first week in August, Nineteen Hundred Fourteen.
I was listening, you were listening, the whole world was listening,
And all of us heard a Voice murmuring:
“I am the way and the light,
He that believeth on me
Shall not perish
But shall have everlasting life.”
Seven nations listening heard the Voice and answered:
“O Hell!”
The jaws of death began clicking and they go on clicking.
“O Hell!”


Scheme abccdefghIcI
Poetic Form
Metre 1010111110111 11011010111011 11100101000111100 0111101100 1101001 11111 1110 1110101 1010100101010 11 01110110011110 11
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 479
Words 88
Sentences 7
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 12
Lines Amount 12
Letters per line (avg) 30
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 360
Words per stanza (avg) 83
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 16, 2023

26 sec read
388

Carl Sandburg

Carl Sandburg was an American writer and editor best known for poetry. more…

All Carl Sandburg poems | Carl Sandburg Books

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