Analysis of The Subalterns
Thomas Hardy 1840 (Stinsford) – 1928 (Dorchester, Dorset)
"Poor wanderer," said the leaden sky,
"I fain would lighten thee,
But there are laws in force on high
Which say it must not be."
--"I would not freeze thee, shorn one," cried
The North, "knew I but how
To warm my breath, to slack my stride;
But I am ruled as thou."
--"To-morrow I attack thee, wight,"
Said Sickness. "Yet I swear
I bear thy little ark no spite,
But am bid enter there."
--"Come hither, Son," I heard Death say;
"I did not will a grave
Should end thy pilgrimage to-day,
But I, too, am a slave!"
We smiled upon each other then,
And life to me had less
Of that fell look it wore ere when
They owned their passiveness.
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IXIG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain |
Metre | 110010101 111101 11110111 111111 11111111 011111 11111111 111111 11010111 110111 11110111 111101 11011111 111101 11110011 111101 11011101 011111 11111111 1111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 630 |
Words | 138 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 20 |
Letters per line (avg) | 23 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 92 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 25 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 09, 2023
- 39 sec read
- 227 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The Subalterns" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/36567/the-subalterns>.
Discuss this Thomas Hardy poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In