Analysis of The Immortal Strain
Edward George Dyson 1865 (Ballarat, Victoria) – 1931 (Saint Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria)
“Late Midshipman John Travers (Chester),
aged 16 years. He was mortally wounded
early in the action, yet he remained alone in
a most exposed post awaiting orders, with
his gun's crew dead all round him.”
We told old stories one by one,
Brave tales of men who toyed with death,
Of wondrous deeds of valor done
In days of bold Elizabeth.
“Alas! our British stock,” said we,
“Is not now what it used to be.”
We read of Drake's great sailors, or
Of fighting men that Nelson led,
Who steered the walls of oak to war.
“These were our finest souls,” we said.
“Their fame is on the ocean writ,
Nor time, nor storm may cancel it.
“The mariners of England then
Were lords of battle and of breeze.
The were, indeed the wondrous men
Who won for us the shoreless seas,
Who took old Neptune's ruling brand
And set it in Britannia's hand.
“But now,” we sighed, “the blood is pale,
We're little people of the street,
And dare not front the shrilling gale.
The sons of England are effete,
Of shorter limb and smaller mould,
Mere pigmies by the men of old.”
Then came the vibrant bugle note.
None cowered at the high alarm,
The steady fleets were still afloat,
And England saw her soldiers arm,
And readily, with sober grace.
The close-set ranks swung into place.
On sea and shore they fought again,
And storied heroes came to life,
Once more were added to the slain.
Once more found glory in the strife;
Again her yeoman sons arose;
A wall 'tween Britain and her foes.
The eager lads, with laughing lips
And souls elate, where oceans roar,
Or planes the eagle's flight eclipse,
Give all for her, and come no more;
Or where death thunders down the sky
Beside their silent guns they lie;
This boy who, while the iron rains
With seething riot whip the flood,
Fights on, till in his heart remains
No single drop of English blood,
Avers the British strain sublime,
Outliving Death, outlasting Time!
Scheme | XAXXX BXBXCC DEDEFF GHGHII JKJKLL MNMNOO GPXPQQ RDRDSS TATAUU |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111011010 111110010 1000101101010 01011010101 1111111 11110111 11111111 11011101 01110100 011010111 11111111 11111101 11011101 11011111 101010111 11110101 11111101 01001101 01110011 00010101 1111011 1111101 011011 11110111 11010101 0111011 01110101 11010101 1110111 11010101 1110101 01010101 01010101 01001101 01111011 11011101 01010111 11010101 11110001 01010101 01110001 01011101 01011101 11010101 11100111 11110101 01110111 11110101 11010101 11101101 11011101 10010101 101101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,912 |
Words | 350 |
Sentences | 19 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 53 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 161 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 38 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:46 min read
- 105 Views
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"The Immortal Strain" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/9597/the-immortal-strain>.
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