Analysis of Can you Remember?

Edmund Blunden 1896 (London) – 1974 (Long Melford)



Yes, I still remember
The whole thing in a way;
Edge and exactitude
Depend on the day.

Of all that prodigious scene
There seems scanty loss,
Though mists mainly float and screen
Canal, spire and fosse;

Though commonly I fail to name
That once obvious Hill,
And where we went and whence we came
To be killed, or kill.
Those mists are spiritual
And luminous-obscure,
Evolved of countless circumstance
Of which I am sure;

Of which, at the instance
Of sound, smell, change and stir,
New-old shapes for ever
Intensely recur.

And some are sparkling, laughing, singing,
Young, heroic, mild;
And some incurable, twisted,
Shrieking, dumb, defiled.


Scheme ABCB DXDX EFEFXGXG XAAA XXXC
Poetic Form
Metre 111010 011001 10010 01101 1110101 11101 1110101 01101 11001111 111001 01110111 11111 1111000 010001 0111010 11111 111010 111101 111110 01001 011101010 10101 01010010 1011
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 626
Words 109
Sentences 5
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 8, 4, 4
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 21
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 101
Words per stanza (avg) 21
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 23, 2023

32 sec read
217

Edmund Blunden

Edmund Charles Blunden, MC was an English poet, author and critic. more…

All Edmund Blunden poems | Edmund Blunden Books

0 fans

Discuss this Edmund Blunden poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Can you Remember?" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/9117/can-you-remember%3F>.

    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!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    5
    days
    5
    hours
    8
    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?

    »
    She recited a poem called "The Hill We Climb" in honor of the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
    A Anita Goldman
    B Amanda Gorman
    C Angela Geisman
    D Samantha Goodman