Analysis of The Trust
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
Because I've eighty years and odd,
And darkling is my day,
I now prepare to meet my God,
And for forgiveness pray.
Not for salvation is my plea,
Nor Heaven hope,--just rest:
Begging: "Dear Father, pardon me,
I did not do my best.
"I did not measure with the Just
To serve my fellow men;
But unto levity and lust
I loaned my precious pen.
I sorrow for the sacred touch,
And though I toiled with zest,
Dear God, have mercy, in-as-much
I did not do my best.
"I bless You for the gift you gave
That brought me golden joy;
Yet here beside the gentle grave
I grieve for its employ.
Have pity, Lord,--so well I know
I failed you in the test,
And my last thought is one of woe:
I did not do my best."
Scheme | ababcdcD efefgdgD hihijdjD |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 01110101 01111 11011111 010101 11010111 110111 10110101 111111 11110101 111101 11010001 111101 11010101 011111 11110011 111111 11110111 111101 11010101 111101 11011111 111001 01111111 111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 768 |
Words | 143 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 22 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 173 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 46 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 42 sec read
- 114 Views
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"The Trust" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/32671/the-trust>.
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