Analysis of Original Sin

Robinson Jeffers 1887 (Allegheny) – 1962 (Carmel-by-the-Sea)



The man-brained and man-handed ground-ape, physically
The most repulsive of all hot-blooded animals
Up to that time of the world: they had dug a pitfall
And caught a mammoth, but how could their sticks and stones
Reach the life in that hide? They danced around the pit, shrieking
With ape excitement, flinging sharp flints in vain, and the stench of their bodies
Stained the white air of dawn; but presently one of them
Remembered the yellow dancer, wood-eating fire
That guards the cave-mouth: he ran and fetched him, and others
Gathered sticks at the wood’s edge; they made a blaze
And pushed it into the pit, and they fed it high, around the mired sides
Of their huge prey. They watched the long hairy trunk
Waver over the stifle trumpeting pain,
And they were happy.

Meanwhile the intense color and nobility of sunrise,
Rose and gold and amber, flowed up the sky. Wet rocks were shining, a little wind
Stirred the leaves of the forest and the marsh flag-flowers; the soft valley between the low hills
Became as beautiful as the sky; while in its midst, hour after hour, the happy hunters
Roasted their living meat slowly to death.

These are the people.
This is the human dawn. As for me, I would rather

Be a worm in a wild apple than a son of man.
But we are what we are, and we might remember
Not to hate any person, for all are vicious;
And not be astonished at any evil, all are deserved;
And not fear death; it is the only way to be cleansed.


Scheme AXXXXXXBCXXXXA XXXCX XB XBXXX
Poetic Form
Metre 0110110111000 0101011110100 111110111101 010101111101 10101111010110 110101011010011110 1011111100111 0100101011010 1101111011010 10110111101 01101010111101011 11111101101 10100101001 01010 1001100010011 1010101101110100101 1011010001110011001011 011100101101110101001010 1011011011 11010 1101011111110 1010011010111 111111011010 111101011110 011010110101101 0111110101111
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 1,460
Words 269
Sentences 10
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 14, 5, 2, 5
Lines Amount 26
Letters per line (avg) 44
Words per line (avg) 10
Letters per stanza (avg) 285
Words per stanza (avg) 67
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 02, 2023

1:20 min read
370

Robinson Jeffers

John Robinson Jeffers was an American poet, known for his work about the central California coast. more…

All Robinson Jeffers poems | Robinson Jeffers Books

2 fans

Discuss this Robinson Jeffers poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Original Sin" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/32829/original-sin>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    4
    days
    5
    hours
    15
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    How many sonnets did William Shakespeare wrote during his life?
    A 101
    B 154
    C 2
    D 5