Analysis of October Hills

John Rollin Ridge 1827 (New Echota) – 1867 ( Grass Valley)



I look upon the purple hills
     That rise in steps to yonder peaks,
And all my soul their silence thrills
     And to my heart their beauty speaks.

What now to me the jars of life,
     Its petty cares, its harder throes?
The hills are free from toil and strife,
     And clasp me in their deep repose.

They soothe the pain within my breast
     No power but theirs could ever reach,
They emblem that eternal rest
      We cannot compass in our speech.

From far I feel their secret charm—
     From far they shed their healing balm,
And lost to sense of grief or harm
     I plunge within their pulseless calm.

How full of peace and strength they stand,
     Self-poised and conscious of their weight!
We rise with them, that silent band,
     Above the wrecks of Time or Fate;

For, mounting from their depths unseen,
     Their spirit pierces upward, far,
A soaring pyramid serene,
     And lifts us where the angels are.

I would not lose this scene of rest,
     Nor shall its dreamy joy depart;
Upon my soul it is imprest,
     And pictured in my inmost heart.


Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IJIJ KLKL EMEM
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 11010101 11011101 01111101 01111101 11110111 11011101 01111101 01101101 11010111 110111101 11010101 110100101 11111101 11111101 01111111 1101111 11110111 11010111 11111101 01011111 11011101 1101101 01010001 01110101 11111111 11110101 0111111 0100111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,040
Words 185
Sentences 8
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 28
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 112
Words per stanza (avg) 26
Font size:
 

Submitted by halel on July 13, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

55 sec read
35

John Rollin Ridge

John Rollin Ridge (Cherokee name: Cheesquatalawny, or Yellow Bird, March 19, 1827 – October 5, 1867), a member of the Cherokee Nation, is considered the first Native American novelist.  more…

All John Rollin Ridge poems | John Rollin Ridge Books

1 fan

Discuss this John Rollin Ridge poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "October Hills" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/54075/october-hills>.

    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!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    1
    day
    2
    hours
    51
    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?

    »
    Who wrote the poem 'Still I Rise'?
    A Sylvia Plath
    B Maya Angelou
    C Audre Loude
    D Edgar Allen Poe