Analysis of Malvern Hill
Herman Melville 1819 – 1891
Ye elms that wave on Malvern Hill
In prime of morn and May,
Recall ye how McClellan's men
Here stood at bay?
While deep within yon forest dim
Our rigid comrades lay -
Some with the cartridge in their mouth,
Others with fixed arms lifted South -
Invoking so
The cypress glades? Ah wilds of woe!
The spires of Richmond, late beheld
Through rifts in musket-haze,
Were closed from view in clouds of dust
On leaf-walled ways,
Where streamed our wagons in caravan;
And the Seven Nights and Days
Of march and fast, retreat and fight,
Pinched our grimed faces to ghastly plight -
Does the elm wood
Recall the haggard beards of blood?
The battle-smoked flag, with stars eclipsed,
We followed (it never fell!) -
In silence husbanded our strength -
Received their yell;
Till on this slope we patient turned
With cannon ordered well;
Reverse we proved was not defeat;
But ah, the sod what thousands meet! -
Does Malvern Wood
Bethink itself, and muse and brood?
We elms of Malvern Hill
Remember every thing;
But sap the twig will fill:
Wag the world how it will,
Leaves must be green in Spring.
Scheme | ABXBXBCCDD EFEFXFEEEE EGXGEGEEEE AHAAH |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (29%) |
Metre | 11111101 011101 11111 1111 11011101 101011 11010011 10111101 0101 01011111 0111011 110101 01110111 1111 111010010 0010101 11010101 1101101101 1011 1010111 010111101 1101101 0101101 0111 11111101 110101 01111101 11011101 1101 1010101 111101 0101001 110111 101111 111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,061 |
Words | 198 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 10, 10, 10, 5 |
Lines Amount | 35 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 212 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 49 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 08, 2023
- 59 sec read
- 61 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Malvern Hill" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/19084/malvern-hill>.
Discuss this Herman Melville poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In