Analysis of The Call

William Henry Ogilvie 1869 (Scotland) – 1963



Gold and green the elm leaves lean and interlace,
All the coloured woodlands are calling to the Chase.
Dew is on the stubble field, ruddy grows the thorn,
All the withered meadowland is listening for the horn.
Lures of lawn and hammock, rod and bat and ball,
Fade before the coming of a stronger lure than all,
Faint before the whisper of the padding feet that pass,
Fail before the witchery of hoof-beats on the grass.
England in her summer sleep turns about and stirs,
Hears the click of bridle rings, hears the clink of spurs,
Sees the gleam of spotted flanks moving in the gorse,
Sees the flashing scarlet of a Whip upon his horse.
Rippling water charms no more, nor the lazy noon,
Spent among the lime trees where a wild bee makes the tune;
Something fiercer tugs the heart, fans the Wood to fire,
Sets the pulses galloping, and wakes the old desire.
Girths are buckled, reins are drawn, stirrups caught again;
Women turn to sterner play, men go forth like men.
Where the storm-clouds gather, where the strong winds stride,
Autumn calls to England and bids her bravest ride.


Scheme AABBCCDDEEAFGGHHIIJJ
Poetic Form
Metre 1010111001 10101110101 111010110101 10101011100101 11101010101 1010101010111 1010101010111 10101111101 100010110101 101110110111 101110110001 1010101010111 1001011110101 1010111011101 1010101101110 10101000101010 111011110101 101110111111 10111010111 101110010101
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,084
Words 195
Sentences 8
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 20
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 43
Words per line (avg) 10
Letters per stanza (avg) 855
Words per stanza (avg) 193
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 11, 2023

58 sec read
83

William Henry Ogilvie

William Henry Ogilvie was a Scottish-Australian narrative poet and horseman. more…

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