Analysis of The Late W. V. Wild, Esq.
Henry Kendall 1839 (Australia) – 1882 (Sydney)
SAD FACES came round, and I dreamily said
“Though the harp of my country now slumbers,
Some hand will pass o’er it, in love for the dead,
And attune it to sorrowful numbers!”
But the hopes that I clung to are withering things,
For the days have gone by with a cloud on their wings,
And the touch of a bard is unknown to the strings—
Oh, why art thou silent, Australia?
The leaves of the autumn are scattering fast,
The willows look barren and lonely;
But I dream a sad dream of my friend of the past,
And his form I can dwell upon only!
In the strength of his youth I can see him go by.
There is health on the cheek, and a fire in the eye—
Oh, who would have thought that such beauty could die!
Ah, mourn for thy noblest, Australia!
A strange shadow broods o’er the desolate earth,
And the cypresses tremble and quiver;
But my heart waxeth dark with the thoughts of the worth
That has left us for ever and ever!
A dull cloud creepeth close to the moon,
And the winter winds pass with a shuddering croon—
Oh, why was he snatched from his brothers so soon?
Ah, weep for thy lost one, Australia!
How weary we grow when we turn to reflect
Upon what we have seen and believed in;
When harping on promises hopelessly wrecked,
And the things we have all been deceived in!
When a voice that I loved lingers near to me yet!
And a kind, handsome face which I’ll never forget—
Can I wake to the present and stifle regret—
Can I smother these feelings, Australia?
It is useless to grieve o’er the light that has fled
But the harp of my country still slumbers;
And I thought that some bard in his love for the dead,
Would have thrilled it to sorrowful numbers!
Lo, the hopes that I clung to are withering things
For the days have gone by with a cloud on their wings,
And my hand is too feeble to strike at the strings—
Oh, why art thou silent, Australia?
Scheme | ababbBbC dedefffc ghghiiic jkjklllc ababbBbC |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 110110111 101111011 11111101101 0011110010 101111111001 101111101111 001101101101 111110010 01101011001 01110010 111011111101 0111110110 001111111111 1111010010001 11111111011 111110010 0111101001 00110010 11111101101 1111110010 01111101 001011101001 11111111011 111111010 11011111101 0111110010 11011001001 0011111010 101111101111 001101111001 111101001001 1110110010 111011101111 101111011 011111011101 1111110010 101111111001 101111101111 011111011101 111110010 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,834 |
Words | 360 |
Sentences | 15 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 40 |
Letters per line (avg) | 36 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 286 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 71 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:48 min read
- 63 Views
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"The Late W. V. Wild, Esq." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/17587/the-late-w.-v.-wild%2C-esq.>.
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