Analysis of Religious Progress
Ambrose Bierce 1842 (Meigs County) – 1914 (Chihuahua)
Professor dear, I think it queer
That all these good religions
('Twixt you and me, some two or three
Are schemes for plucking pigeons)
I mean 'tis strange that every change
Our poor minds to unfetter
Entails a new religion-true
As t' other one, and better.
From each in turn the truth we learn,
That wood or flesh or spirit
May justly boast it rules the roast
Until we cease to fear it.
Nay, once upon a time long gone
Man worshipped Cat and Lizard:
His God he'd find in any kind
Of beast, from a to izzard.
When risen above his early love
Of dirt and blood and slumber,
He pulled down these vain deities,
And made one out of lumber.
'Far better that than even a cat,'
The Howisons all shouted;
'When God is wood religion's good!'
But one poor cynic doubted.
'A timber God-that's very odd!'
Said Progress, and invented
The simple plan to worship Man,
Who, kindly soul! consented.
But soon our eye we lift asky,
Our vows all unregarded,
And find (at least so says the priest)
The Truth-and Man's discarded.
Along our line of march recline
Dead gods devoid of feeling;
And thick about each sun-cracked lout
Dried Howisons are kneeling.
Scheme | ABXB XAXC XDXX XEXE XCXC XFXG XFXG HDXG XHXH |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (44%) |
Metre | 01011111 1111010 11011111 1111010 111111001 101111 01010101 11101010 11010111 1111110 11011101 0111111 11010111 1101010 11110101 1110110 110011101 1101010 11111100 0111110 110111001 01110 11110101 1111010 01011101 110010 01011101 1101010 11101111 10111 01111101 0101010 011011101 1101110 01011111 11110 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,106 |
Words | 212 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 36 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 98 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 23 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 03, 2023
- 1:04 min read
- 86 Views
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"Religious Progress" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/1882/religious-progress>.
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