Analysis of Campus Sonnets: Before An Examination

Stephen Vincent Benet 1898 (Bethlehem) – 1943 (New York City)



The little letters dance across the page,
Flaunt and retire, and trick the tired eyes;
Sick of the strain, the glaring light, I rise
Yawning and stretching, full of empty rage
At the dull maunderings of a long dead sage,
Fling up the windows, fling aside his lies;
Choosing to breathe, not stifle and be wise,
And let the air pour in upon my cage.

The breeze blows cool and there are stars and stars
Beyond the dark, soft masses of the elms
That whisper things in windy tones and light.
They seem to wheel for dim, celestial wars;
And I - I hear the clash of silver helms
Ring icy-clear from the far deeps of night.


Scheme ABBAABBA XCDXCD
Poetic Form
Metre 0101010101 1001010101 1101010111 1001011101 10110010111 1101010111 1011110011 0101100111 0111011101 0101110101 1101010101 1111110101 0111011101 1101101111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 623
Words 119
Sentences 4
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 240
Words per stanza (avg) 59
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
67

Stephen Vincent Benet

Stephen Vincent Benét was an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist. more…

All Stephen Vincent Benet poems | Stephen Vincent Benet Books

1 fan

Discuss this Stephen Vincent Benet poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Campus Sonnets: Before An Examination" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/35784/campus-sonnets%3A-before-an-examination>.

    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!

    More poems by

    Stephen Vincent Benet

    »

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    21
    hours
    38
    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?

    »
    "My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night."
    A Lord Byron
    B Sylvia Plath
    C Edna St. Vincent Millay
    D Wilfred Owen