Analysis of A Caller
Ambrose Bierce 1842 (Meigs County) – 1914 (Chihuahua)
'Why, Goldenson, you're looking very well.'
Said Death as, strolling through the County Jail,
He entered that serene assassin's cell
And hung his hat and coat upon a nail.
'I think that life in this secluded spot
Agrees with men of your trade, does it not?'
'Well, yes,' said Goldenson, 'I can't complain:
Life anywhere-provided it is mine-
Agrees with me; but I observe with pain
That still the people murmur and repine.
It hurts their sense of harmony, no doubt,
To see a persecuted man grow stout.'
'O no, 'tis not your growing stout,' said Death,
'Which makes these malcontents complain and scold
They like you to be, somehow, scant of breath.
What they object to is your growing old.
And-though indifferent to lean or fat
I don't myself entirely favor _that_.'
With brows that met above the orbs beneath,
And nose that like a soaring hawk appeared,
And lifted lip, uncovering his teeth,
The Mamikellikiller coldly sneered:
'O, so you don't! Well, how will you assuage
Your spongy passion for the blood of age?'
Death with a clattering convulsion, drew
His coat on, hatted his unmeated pow,
Unbarred the door and, stepping partly through,
Turned and made answer: 'I will _show_ you how.
I'm going to the Bench you call Supreme
And tap the old women who sit there and dream.'
Scheme | ABABCC DXDDEE FGFGXC HIHIJJ KLKLMM |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) Etheree (20%) |
Metre | 1100110101 1111010101 1101010101 0111010101 1111010101 0111111111 1111001101 110010111 0111110111 110101001 1111110011 110100111 1111110111 111010101 111111111 1110111101 010101111 1110100101 1111010101 0111010101 0101010011 01101 1111111101 1101010111 1101000101 1111111 101010101 1011011111 1101011101 01011011101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,257 |
Words | 233 |
Sentences | 13 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 30 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 198 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 45 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:09 min read
- 115 Views
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