Analysis of Ode to Trump



'Tis done! But yesterday he ruled, America's most grand,
To despots and emirs bejeweled he'd dictate and demand,
(Their gifts not fecklessly bestrewn to find a favor, seek a boon),
And lordly to command.
Once master of his nation's fate, diminished now, no longer great.

How could this happen?  Such a one so mighty born as he,
The warp and weave of fate undone and none could e'er foresee.
Divinely chosen sovereign, what cause invoke ye to explain
Thy people's mutiny?
"'Tis clear and plainly evident, skullduggery by Satan sent."

But is there not another way to see thy mighty fall?
Perhaps the people had their say and spurned thee after all.
They weighed thee fair an autumn past and found thee wanting at long last,
And issued their recall.
'Twas fairly fought and fairly lost, thy bruisèd pride the only cost.

"But forces dark and sinister at home and oversea,
Strove mightily to minister their fatal draught to me.
'Tis clear to all I was undone, Fox nightly shows I should have won,
And won it most bigly.
Great ominous cabals that lurk in darkest shadows did their work."

Oh Hubris!  Thou who givest man for pride just recompense,
Hast ever in thy lengthy span known one so lacking sense?
No deadly cabal seeks thy doom, nor Satan's minions in the gloom,
Would hie they spirit thence.
Thou hast by thine own misdeeds wrought thine own comeuppance, never sought.

With snide and mocking jibes instead of thoughtful policy,
Thy yeoman votaries were led to place their faith in thee.
Thou raisest fawning acolytes and scoundrels to the greatest heights,
And callow progeny.
Thy counselors all unctuous men who chant thy praises o'er again.

Thou cleav'st in twain those families who sought a refuge here,
Their sons and daughters thou wouldst seize and fain make disappear.
Ye huddled masses, tempest-toss'd, the wastes of Mexico ye cross'd
For this?  But have no fear;
For someone somehow will provide, well-fed in cages they abide.

And when thou wouldst a respite seek, for governing's a bore,
Thou playest golf most every week on Florida's warm shore,
Or strikest thou a mighty stand with unread Bible in thy hand,
Before a churchyard door.
Ye hollow fragment of a man!  We've suffered thee as best we can.

To Florida, beside the sea, exiled in thine own land,
Thy Slovene beauty there with thee to walk the sodden strand.
And loves she still thy sullen face?  And shares with thee thy proud disgrace
(Though scorns thy proffered hand)?
And this despite thy wand'ring eye.  Such loyalty no one can buy.

Like Bonaparte thou wouldst incite thy rabble to the fray,
But lacking stomach for the fight thou wisely stayed away.
No Washington, no Bonaparte but small and trivial thou art,
And ever after may
You be a footnote, scant and pale, to this our land's most sordid tale.


Scheme AAXAX BBXBX CCXCX BBXCX DDXDX BBXBX XEXEX FFAFX AAXAX GGXGX
Poetic Form
Metre 1111011010011 11011101001 1111111010101 01101 1101110101011101 11110101110111 010111010111001 010101011011101 110100 1101010011101 11110101111101 01010111011101 1111110101110111 01011 1101010111110101 1101010011001 11001100110111 1111110111011111 01111 11001110101111 110111111110 11001101111101 110011111110001 111101 111110111110101 11010101110100 110101111101 11101001010101 010100 11001101111101001 11011100110101 1101011101101 110101010111011 111111 11110111010101 011101011101 11111001110011 111010110110011 01011 1101010111011111 1100010110111 1110111110101 0111110101111101 111101 0101111111001111 1101101110101 11010101110101 110011011010011 010101 1101101111011101
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 2,791
Words 538
Sentences 34
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Lines Amount 50
Letters per line (avg) 44
Words per line (avg) 10
Letters per stanza (avg) 219
Words per stanza (avg) 49

About this poem

Inspired by Byron's Ode to Napoleon

Font size:
 

Written on 2021

Submitted by dogojim3 on April 04, 2022

Modified on April 13, 2023

2:46 min read
47

Jim Gardiner

Retired biochemist, first-time poet. more…

All Jim Gardiner poems | Jim Gardiner Books

2 fans

Discuss this Jim Gardiner poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Ode to Trump" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/126508/ode-to-trump>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    Jim Gardiner

    »

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    5
    days
    12
    hours
    34
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Lewis Carroll wrote: "You are old father William, the young man said..."
    A "and you seem to have lost your sight"
    B "and your eyes have become less bright"
    C "and your hair has become very white"
    D "and you're going to die tonight"