Analysis of Rimini
Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)
Marching Song of a Roman Legion of the Later Empire
When I left Rome for Lalage's sake,
By the Legions' Road to Rimini,
She vowed her heart was mine to take
With me and my shield to Rimini--
(Till the Eagles flew from Rimini--)
And I've tramped Britain, and I've tramped Gaul
And the Pontic shore where the snow-flakes fall
As white as the neck of Lalage--
(As cold as the heart of Lalage!)
And I've lost Britain, and I've lost Gaul,
And I've lost Rome and, worst of all,
I've lost Lalage!
When you go by the Via Aurelia
As thousands have traveled before
Remember the Luck of the Soldier
Who never saw Rome any more!
Oh, dear was the sweetheart that kissed him,
And dear was the mother that bore;
But his shield was picked up in the heather,
And he never saw Rome any more!
And he left Rome, etc.
When you go by the Via Aurelia
That runs from the City to Gaul,
Remember the Luck of the Soldier
Who rose to be master of all!
He carried the sword and the buckler,
He mounted his guard on the Wall,
Till the Legions elected him Caesar,
And he rose to be master of all!
And he left Rome, etc.
It's twenty-five marches to Narbo,
It's forty-five more up the Rhone,
And the end may be death in the heather
Or life on an Emperor's throne.
But whether the Eagles obey us,
Or we go to the Ravens--alone,
I'd sooner be Lalage's lover
Than sit on an Emperor's throne!
We've all left Rome for Lalage's sake, etc.
Scheme | a bcbccddeedde DfAfxfaf G DdAdadad G xcacxcac g |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (30%) Tetractys (23%) |
Metre | 1011010101010100 1111111 1010111 11011111 1101111 1010111 011100111 001110111 1110111 1110111 011100111 01110111 111 11110101 11011001 010011010 11011101 11101111 01101011 1111110010 011011101 0111100 11110101 11101011 010011010 11111011 1100100100 11011101 1010010110 011111011 0111100 11011011 11011101 0011110010 11111001 110010011 111101001 1101110 11111001 1111111100 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,368 |
Words | 273 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 8 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 12, 8, 1, 8, 1, 8, 1 |
Lines Amount | 40 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 133 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 34 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 03, 2023
- 1:26 min read
- 97 Views
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"Rimini" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/33325/rimini>.
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