Analysis of The King of Yellow Butterflies

Vachel Lindsay 1879 (Springfield) – 1931 (Springfield)



(A Poem Game.)

The King of Yellow Butterflies,
The King of Yellow Butterflies,
The King of Yellow Butterflies,
Now orders forth his men.
He says "The time is almost here
When violets bloom again."
Adown the road the fickle rout
Goes flashing proud and bold,
A down the road the fickle rout
Goes flashing proud and bold,
Adown the road the fickle rout
Goes flashing proud and bold,
They shiver by the shallow pools,
They shiver by the shallow pools,
They shiver by the shallow pools,
And whimper of the cold.
They drink and drink. A frail pretense!
They love to pose and preen.

Each pool is but a looking glass,
Where their sweet wings are seen.
Each pool is but a looking glass,
Where their sweet wings are seen.
Each pool is but a looking glass,
Where their sweet wings are seen.
Gentlemen adventurers! Gypsies every whit!
They live on what they steal. Their wings
By briars are frayed a bit.
Their loves are light. They have no house.
And if it rains today,
They'll climb into your cattle-shed,
They'll climb into your cattle-shed,
They'll climb into your cattle-shed,
And hide them in the hay,
And hide them in the hay,
And hide them in the hay,
And hide them in the hay.


Scheme x AAAbxbCDcDCDEEEdxf GFGFGFhxhxiJJJIIII
Poetic Form
Metre 0101 0111010 0111010 0111010 110111 1101111 1100101 1010101 110101 01010101 110101 1010101 110101 11010101 11010101 11010101 010101 11010101 111101 11110101 111111 11110101 111111 11110101 111111 1000100101001 11111111 111101 11111111 011101 11011101 11011101 11011101 011001 011001 011001 011001
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,146
Words 218
Sentences 18
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 1, 18, 18
Lines Amount 37
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 305
Words per stanza (avg) 71
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:06 min read
71

Vachel Lindsay

Nicholas Vachel Lindsay was an American poet. more…

All Vachel Lindsay poems | Vachel Lindsay Books

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