Analysis of The Sufi In The City

Sir Henry Newbolt 1862 (Bilston, Staffordshire) – 1938 (Kensington, London)



When late I watched the arrows of the sleet
Against the windows of the Tavern beat,
I heard a Rose that murmured from her Pot:
'Why trudge thy fellows yonder in the Street?

'Before the phantom of False Morning dies,
Choked in the bitter Net that binds the skies,
Their feet, bemired with Yesterday, set out
For the dark alleys where To-morrow lies.

'Think you, when all their petals they have bruised,
And all the fragrances of Life confused,
That Night with sweeter rest will comfort these
Than us, who still within the Garden mused?

'Think you the Gold they fight for all day long
Is worth the frugal Peace their clamours wrong?
Their Titles, and the Name they toil to build---
Will they outlast the echoes of our Song?'

O Sons of Omar, what shall be the close
Seek not to know, for no man living knows:
But while within your hands the Wine is set
Drink ye--to Omar and the Dreaming Rose!


Scheme AAXA BBXB CCXC DDXD XEXE
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Etheree  (20%)
Quatrain  (20%)
Metre 1111010101 0101010101 1101110101 1111010001 0101011101 1001011101 11111011 1011011101 1111110111 0101001101 1111011101 1111010101 1101111111 110101111 1100011111 1110101101 1111011101 1111111101 1101110111 1111000101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 893
Words 172
Sentences 12
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 35
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 139
Words per stanza (avg) 33
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

51 sec read
36

Sir Henry Newbolt

Sir Henry John Newbolt, CH was an English poet, novelist and historian. He also had a very powerful role as a government adviser, particularly on Irish issues and with regard to the study of English in England. He is perhaps best remembered for his poems "Vitaï Lampada" and "Drake's Drum". more…

All Sir Henry Newbolt poems | Sir Henry Newbolt Books

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