Analysis of The Akond of Swat

Edward Lear 1812 (Holloway) – 1888 (Sanremo)



Who, or why, or which, or what, Is the Akond of SWAT?

Is he tall or short, or dark or fair?
Does he sit on a stool or a sofa or a chair,
        or SQUAT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Is he wise or foolish, young or old?
Does he drink his soup and his coffee cold,
        or HOT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Does he sing or whistle, jabber or talk,
And when riding abroad does he gallop or walk
        or TROT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Does he wear a turban, a fez, or a hat?
Does he sleep on a mattress, a bed, or a mat,
        or COT,
    The Akond of Swat?

When he writes a copy in round-hand size,
Does he cross his T's and finish his I's
         with a DOT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Can he write a letter concisely clear
Without a speck or a smudge or smear
        or BLOT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Do his people like him extremely well?
Or do they, whenever they can, rebel,
        or PLOT,
    At the Akond of Swat?

If he catches them then, either old or young,
Does he have them chopped in pieces or hung,
        or SHOT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Do his people prig in the lanes or park?
Or even at times, when days are dark,
        GAROTTE,
    The Akond of Swat?

Does he study the wants of his own dominion?
Or doesn't he care for public opinion
      &n bsp; a JOT,
    The Akond of Swat?

To amuse his mind do his people show him
Pictures, or any one's last new poem,
        or WHAT,
    For the Akond of Swat?

At night if he suddenly screams and wakes,
Do they bring him only a few small cakes,
        or a LOT,
    For the Akond of Swat?

Does he live on turnips, tea, or tripe?
Does he like his shawl to be marked with a stripe,
      &n bsp; or a DOT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Does he like to lie on his back in a boat
Like the lady who lived in that isle remote,
      &n bsp; SHALLOTT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Is he quiet, or always making a fuss?
Is his steward a Swiss or a Swede or Russ,
        or a SCOT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Does like to sit by the calm blue wave?
Or to sleep and snore in a dark green cave,
        or a GROTT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Does he drink small beer from a silver jug?
Or a bowl? or a glass? or a cup? or a mug?
        or a POT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Does he beat his wife with a gold-topped pipe,
When she let the gooseberries grow too ripe,
        or ROT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Does he wear a white tie when he dines with friends,
And tie it neat in a bow with ends,
        or a KNOT.
    The Akond of Swat?

Does he like new cream, and hate mince-pies?
When he looks at the sun does he wink his eyes,
        or NOT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Does he teach his subjects to roast and bake?
Does he sail about on an inland lake
        in a YACHT,
    The Akond of Swat?

Some one, or nobody, knows I wot
Who or which or why or what
    Is the Akond of Swat?  


Scheme a bbaA ccaA ddaA eeaA ffaA ggaA xxaa hhaA iiaA jjaA xxkA llaA mmaA nnaA ooaA ppaA qqaA mmaA rraA ffaA ssaA aka
Poetic Form
Metre 111111110111 111111111 1111011010101 11 0111 111110111 1111101101 11 0111 111110111 011001111011 11 0111 11101001101 111101001101 11 0111 1110100111 1111101011 101 0111 1110100101 010110111 11 0111 1110110101 1110101110 11 10111 11101110111 1111101011 11 0111 1110100111 110111111 1 0111 111001111010 11011110010 1101 0111 10111111011 1011011110 11 10111 1111100101 1111100111 101 10111 111110111 11111111101 11101 0111 11111111001 10101101101 111 0111 1110111001 11100110111 101 0111 111110111 1110100111 101 0111 1111110101 101101101101 101 0111 1111110111 111010111 11 0111 11101111111 011100111 101 0111 111110111 11110111111 11 0111 1111101101 111011111 001 0111 1111111 1111111 10111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 2,720
Words 550
Sentences 41
Stanzas 23
Stanza Lengths 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3
Lines Amount 88
Letters per line (avg) 21
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 82
Words per stanza (avg) 24
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

2:46 min read
264

Edward Lear

Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, author and poet, and is known now mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised. more…

All Edward Lear poems | Edward Lear Books

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