Analysis of The Restoration Of The Royal Family

John Keble 1792 (Fairford) – 1866 (Bournemouth)



As when the Paschal week is o'er,
Sleeps in the silent aisles no more
  The breath of sacred song,
But by the rising Saviour's light
Awakened soars in airy flight,
  Or deepening rolls along;

The while round altar, niche, and shrine,
The funeral evergreens entwine,
  And a dark brilliance cast,
The brighter for their hues of gloom,
Tokens of Him, who through the tomb
  Into high glory passed:

Such were the lights and such the strains.
When proudly streamed o'er ocean plains
  Our own returning Cross;
For with that triumph seemed to float
Far on the breeze one dirge-like note
  Of orphanhood and loss.

Father and King, oh where art thou?
A greener wreath adorns thy brow,
  And clearer rays surround;
O, for one hour of prayer like thine,
To plead before th' all-ruling shrine
  For Britain lost and found!

And he, whose mild persuasive voice
Taught us in trials to rejoice,
  Most like a faithful dove,
That by some ruined homestead builds,
And pours to the forsaken fields
  His wonted lay of love:

Why comes he not to bear his part,
To lift and guide th' exulting heart? -
  A hand that cannot spars
Lies heavy on his gentle breast:
We wish him health; he sighs for rest,
  And Heaven accepts the prayer.

Yes, go in peace, dear placid spright,
Ill spared; but would we store aright
  Thy serious sweet farewell,
We need not grudge thee to the skies,
Sure after thee in time to rise,
  With thee for ever dwell.

Till then, whene'er with duteous hand,
Year after year, my native Land
  Her royal offering brings,
Upon the Altar lays the Crown,
And spreads her robes of old renown
  Before the King of kings.

Be some kind spirit, likest thine,
Ever at hand, with airs divine
  The wandering heart to seize;
Whispering, "How long hast thou to live,
That thou should'st Hope or Fancy gave
  To flowers or crowns like these?"


Scheme XXABBA CCDEED FFGHHG IIJCCJ KKLXXL MMFNNX BBOPPO QQRSSR CCTXXT
Poetic Form
Metre 110101110 10010111 011101 1101011 01010101 1100101 01110101 01001001 001101 01011111 10111101 011101 10010101 110110101 1010101 11110111 11011111 1101 10011111 01010111 010101 111101111 1101111101 110101 01110101 11010101 110101 1111011 01100101 11111 11111111 1101110101 011101 11011101 11111111 0100101 11011101 1111111 110011 11111101 11010111 111101 111111 11011101 0101001 01010101 01011101 010111 1111011 10111101 0100111 100111111 111111101 1101111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,783
Words 326
Sentences 10
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 54
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 156
Words per stanza (avg) 36
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:39 min read
42

John Keble

John Keble was an English churchman and poet, one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement. Keble College, Oxford was named after him. more…

All John Keble poems | John Keble Books

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