Analysis of The Hundredth Year
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis 1876 (Auburn) – 1938 (Melbourne)
Not that I'd quarrel with the way
They celebrates their hundredth year
In town (said old Pete Parraday),
But that don't suit us bush blokes here.
So let bells ring and whistles blare
And fill the town with mighty sound,
Let motor noises tear the air
An' bonfires light the hills around.
When I'm five score I want some say
In things (said old Peter Parraday).
I've lived me life here in the bush
(Said Pete) since I was but a boy;
An' all this city noise an' push
Ain't my idea of showin' joy.
Me ears ain't tooned to sich like noise,
And fire is like to wake our fear.
Them ain't the things that we enjoys
When celebratin' birthdays here;
So, if I live so long, I pray
For peace (said old Peter Parraday).
A hundred year's a long, long spell
To hang about this mad ole earth,
And when man nears his century - well
He don't crave much of noisy mirth -
Not for himself, with life near run
Its length, such comes for others yet;
Not for himself; for he is done,
With all life's hectic fuss an' fret.
So let me have my foolish way
In this (said old Pete Parraday).
I ask but this, an' nothin' more,
When comes my hundredth natal day;
Let me sit here beside my door
And dream (said old Pete Parraday).
While bush birds sing the songs I know,
And bush sounds that I love the best,
Wake memories of the long ago,
Let me sit here a while and rest.
Aye, rest, and sleep and, who shall say?
Sleep sound (said old Pete Parraday).
Scheme | ABCDECECAC FGFGHBHDAC IJIJKCKCAC LALCMCMCAC |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (30%) Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 11110101 1101101 011111 11111111 11110101 01011101 11010101 11010101 11111111 0111101 11111001 11111101 11110111 11010111 11111111 0101111101 11011101 1111 11111111 1111101 01010111 11011111 011111001 11111101 11011111 11111101 11011111 11110111 11111101 011111 11111101 11110101 11110111 011111 11110111 01111101 110010101 11110101 11010111 111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,388 |
Words | 279 |
Sentences | 13 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 10, 10, 10, 10 |
Lines Amount | 40 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 269 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 69 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:26 min read
- 62 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The Hundredth Year" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/6674/the-hundredth-year>.
Discuss this Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In