Analysis of The Lost Battle
Alfred Noyes 1880 (Wolverhampton) – 1958 (Isle of Wight)
It is not over yet-the fight
Where those immortal dreamers failed.
They stormed the citadels of night,
And the night praised them-and prevailed.
So long ago the cause was lost
We scarce distinguish friend from foe;
But-if the dead can help it most-
The armies of the dead will grow.
The world has all our banners now,
And filched our watchwords for its own.
The world has crowned the ' rebel's ' brow
And millions crowd his lordly throne.
The masks have altered. Names are names.
They praise the 'truth' that is not true.
The ' rebel' that the world acclaims
Is not the rebel Shelley knew.
We may not build that Commonweal,
We may not reach the goal we set;
But there's a flag they dare not steal.
Forward! It is not over yet.
We shall be dust and under dust,
Before we end that ancient wrong;
But there's a sword that cannot rust,
And where's the death can touch a song?
So, when our bodies rot in earth,
The singing souls that once were ours,
Weaponed with light and helmed with mirth,
Shall front the kingdoms and the powers.
The ancient lie is on its throne,
And half the living still forget;
But, since the dead are all our own,
Courage, it is not over yet.
Scheme | ABABXCXC DEDEFGFG HIHIJKJK LMLMEIEI |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11110101 11010101 110111 00111001 11010111 11010111 11011111 01010111 011110101 01101111 01110101 0101111 01110111 11011111 01010101 11010101 111111 11110111 11011111 10111101 11110101 01111101 11011101 01011101 111010101 010111010 1110111 110100010 01011111 01010101 110111101 10111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,139 |
Words | 220 |
Sentences | 16 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 32 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 225 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 55 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:06 min read
- 53 Views
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"The Lost Battle" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/1191/the-lost-battle>.
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