Analysis of The Lynching
Claude McKay 1889 (Clarendon Parish) – 1948 (Chicago)
His Spirit in smoke ascended to high heaven.
His father, by the cruelest way of pain,
Had bidden him to his bosom once again;
The awful sin remained still unforgiven.
All night a bright and solitary star
(Perchance the one that ever guided him,
Yet gave him up at last to Fate's wild whim)
Hung pitifully o'er the swinging char.
Day dawned, and soon the mixed crowds came to view
The ghastly body swaying in the sun
The women thronged to look, but never a one
Showed sorrow in her eyes of steely blue;
And little lads, lynchers that were to be,
Danced round the dreadful thing in fiendish glee.
Scheme | ABCADEEDFAAFGG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 110010101110 1101010111 11011110101 0101011010 110101001 0101110101 1111111111 11000100101 1101011111 0101010001 01011111001 1100011101 010111011 1101010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 602 |
Words | 112 |
Sentences | 5 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
Lines Amount | 14 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 468 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 110 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 15, 2023
- 34 sec read
- 356 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The Lynching" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/6894/the-lynching>.
Discuss this Claude McKay 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