Analysis of Route March
Charles Hamilton Sorley 1895 (Aberdeen) – 1915 (Hulluch, Lens)
All the hills and vales along
Earth is bursting into song,
And the singers are the chaps
Who are going to die perhaps.
O sing, marching men,
Till the valleys ring again.
Give your gladness to earth's keeping,
So be glad, when you are sleeping.
Cast away regret and rue,
Think what you are marching to,
Little live, great pass.
Jesus Christ and Barabbas
Were found the same day.
This died, that, went his way.
So sing with joyful breath.
For why, you are going to death.
Teeming earth will surely store
All the gladness that you pour.
Earth that never doubts nor fears
Earth that knows of death, not tears,
Earth that bore with joyful ease
Hemlock for Socrates,
Earth that blossomed and was glad
'Neath the cross that Christ had,
Shall rejoice and blossom too
When the bullet reaches you.
Wherefore, men marching
On the road to death, sing!
Pour gladness on earth's head,
So be merry, so be dead.
From the hills and valleys earth
Shouts back the sound of mirth,
Tramp of feet and lilt of song
Ringing all the road along.
All the music of their going,
Ringing swinging glad song-throwing,
Earth will echo still, when foot
Lies numb and voice mute.
On marching men, on
To the gates of death with song.
Sow your gladness for earth's reaping,
So you may be glad though sleeping.
Strew your gladness on earth's bed,
So be merry, so be dead.
Scheme | aabbccdd eexbffgghh xxiijjeeddkK llaaddxxxaddkK |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1010101 1110011 0010101 11101101 11101 1010101 1111110 11111110 1010101 1111101 10111 10101 01011 111111 111101 11111011 1011101 101111 1110111 1111111 1111101 1110 1110011 101111 1010101 1010101 1110 101111 11111 1110111 1010101 110111 1110111 1010101 10101110 10101110 1110111 11011 11011 1011111 1111110 11111110 111111 1110111 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,370 |
Words | 245 |
Sentences | 18 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 10, 12, 14 |
Lines Amount | 44 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 261 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 61 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:14 min read
- 53 Views
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"Route March" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/5097/route-march>.
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