Analysis of Mary's Son

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



If you stop to find out what your wages will be
And how they will clothe and feed you,
Willie, my son, don't you go on the Sea.
For the Sea will never need you.

If you ask for the reason of every command,
And argue with people about you,
Willie, my son, don't you go on the Land,
For the Land will do better without you.

If you stop to consider the work you have done
And to boast what your labour is worth, dear,
Angels may come for you, Willie, my son,
But you'll never be wanted on Farth, dear!


Scheme ABAB CBCB DEDE
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 111111111011 01111011 1011111101 10111011 1111010110001 010110011 1011111101 1011110011 111101001111 011111111 1011111011 1110110111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 494
Words 104
Sentences 5
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 12
Letters per line (avg) 31
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 125
Words per stanza (avg) 34
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 01, 2023

32 sec read
190

Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist chiefly remembered for his tales and poems of British soldiers in India and his tales for children. more…

All Rudyard Kipling poems | Rudyard Kipling Books

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