Analysis of To Honor Us



To honor us on this day
in fields afar in graves we lay.
You know us not, why should you care?
So long ago our souls laid bare.

Our lifeless bodies now but dust.
The cannons silent from the rust.
Should honor be from guns report?
What meaning had our lives so short?

For country far from perfect stood
our brothers here who knew they would
strive together through the fight.
Losing all for what thought right.

Black and Brown, no colors tell
Asian, Native all fought so well.
Never equal rights enjoyed.
All the same their guns employed.

For freedoms sake we joined the fray
but for our brothers we died one day.
For freedoms sake we took the fall.
This gift to you is from us all.

Honor to all not honor to some.
Our blood ran red whoever from.
All being equal in God’s sight.
Honor to all, it’s only right.

So honor us with your gift of life.
Protect the truth, endure the strife.
For untruths told with selfish aim
there is no honor, a dangerous game.

For freedom’s price we bore the sword.
To honor us, then spread word.
Dream the dreams of Dr. King.
To love each other, that’s the thing.

To honor us then lead the way.
Make something better each precious day.
Your freedom has a heavy cost.
Without due care it will be lost.

To honor us you must stay strong
and teach your children right from wrong.
The future world is in their hands.
Let justice prevail in all the lands.


Scheme AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH AAII JJFF KKLL XXMM AAXX NNOO
Poetic Form Quatrain  (80%)
Etheree  (33%)
Metre 1101111 01010111 11111111 110110111 101010111 01010101 11011101 110110111 11011011 101011111 1010101 1011111 1011101 10101111 1010101 1011101 11011101 1110101111 11011101 11111111 101111011 101110101 11010011 10111101 110111111 01010101 10111101 1111001001 11011101 1101111 101111 11110101 11011101 110101101 11010101 01111111 11011111 01110111 01011011 110010101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,397
Words 304
Sentences 34
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 40
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 107
Words per stanza (avg) 26

About this poem

As Memorial Day approaches, this poem is intended to honor those in the military who died while in service to our country.

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Written on May 10, 2024

Submitted by ggburnette on May 10, 2024

1:31 min read
113

George Burnette

I'm a 1976 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. I served as a pilot in the Air Force and then National Guard for a total of nine years. After a couple of years as a computer programmer/analyst, I resumed a flying career as a pilot for a major airline retiring in 2016. I live in Maui now. Activities include playing golf and various volunteer interests. I also paddle canoe as a member of the Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Voyaging Society. more…

All George Burnette poems | George Burnette Books

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