Analysis of The Dying Words Of Stonewall Jackson

Sidney Lanier 1842 (Macon) – 1881 (Lynn)



"Order A. P. Hill to prepare for battle."
    "Tell Major Hawks to advance the Commissary train."
    "Let us cross the river and rest in the shade."

The stars of Night contain the glittering Day
And rain his glory down with sweeter grace
Upon the dark World's grand, enchanted face --
    All loth to turn away.

And so the Day, about to yield his breath,
Utters the stars unto the listening Night,
To stand for burning fare-thee-wells of light
    Said on the verge of death.

O hero-life that lit us like the sun!
O hero-words that glittered like the stars
And stood and shone above the gloomy wars
    When the hero-life was done!

The phantoms of a battle came to dwell
I' the fitful vision of his dying eyes --
Yet even in battle-dreams, he sends supplies
    To those he loved so well.

His army stands in battle-line arrayed:
His couriers fly:  all's done:  now God decide!
-- And not till then saw he the Other Side
    Or would accept the shade.

Thou Land whose sun is gone, thy stars remain!
Still shine the words that miniature his deeds.
O thrice-beloved, where'er thy great heart bleeds,
    Solace hast thou for pain!


Scheme XAB CDDC EFFE GXXG HIIH BJJB AKKA
Poetic Form
Metre 10011101110 110110101001 11101001001 01110101001 0111011101 0101110101 111101 0101011111 10011001001 1111011111 110111 1101111101 1101110101 0101010101 1010111 0101010111 10101011101 11001011101 111111 1101010101 1100111111 0111110101 110101 1111111101 1101110011 1101101111 101111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,110
Words 205
Sentences 16
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 27
Letters per line (avg) 31
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 121
Words per stanza (avg) 29
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:01 min read
61

Sidney Lanier

Sidney Lanier was a poet, writer, composer, critic, professor of literature at Johns Hopkins and first flutist with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra in Baltiimore. He wrote the Centennial cantata for the opening ceremony of the 1876 Centennial celebration in Philadelphia. more…

All Sidney Lanier poems | Sidney Lanier Books

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