Analysis of The unknown soldier

Royston 1946 (Reading)



Unknown to us, yet known to God,
as through World War One he trod.
He'd never fought a war before
and did not like the sights he saw.

The shells and bullets flying by
and the carnage that made him cry.
He gave his all, his life he spent
as onward and upward he went.

Now in the grave unknown he lays.
No name the stark headstone displays.
Who is this man so lost and forgotten?
There's no trace of him, his body's rotten.

This unknown man laid down his life
paying the ultimate sacrifice.
By his death he bought us peace
Endured such turmoil that war might cease.

Somewhere in the world a woman cries
wondering where her loved one lies.
She too had paid the price of war.
Yet no one knew but her God saw.


Scheme AABC DDEE FFGG XXHH IIBC
Poetic Form Quatrain  (40%)
Etheree  (20%)
Metre 01111111 1111111 11010101 01110111 01010101 00101111 11111111 11001011 10010111 1101101 1111110010 1111111010 10111111 10010010 1111111 01111111 10010101 10010111 11110111 11111011
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 686
Words 138
Sentences 13
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 109
Words per stanza (avg) 28
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Submitted by royston on May 15, 2021

Modified on March 05, 2023

42 sec read
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Royston

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