Analysis of Home 2
Edward Thomas 1878 (London Borough of Lambeth) – 1917 (Pas-de-Calais)
Fair was the morning, fair our tempers, and
We had seen nothing fairer than that land,
Though strange, and the untrodden snow that made
Wild of the tame, casting out all that was
Not wild and rustic and old; and we were glad.
Fair too was afternoon, and first to pass
Were we that league of snow, next the north wind.
There was nothing to return for, except need,
And yet we sang nor ever stopped for speed,
As we did often with the start behind.
Faster still strode we when we came in sight
Of the cold roofs where we must spend the night.
Happy we had not been there, nor could be,
Though we had tasted sleep and food and fellowship
Together long.
'How quick', to someone's lip
The words came, 'will the beaten horse run home!'
The word 'home' raised a smile in us all three,
And one repeated it, smiling just so
That all knew what he meant and none would say.
Between three counties far apart that lay
We were divided and looked strangely each
At the other, and we knew we were not friends
But fellows in a union that ends
With the necessity for it, as it ought.
Never a word was spoken, not a thought
Was thought, of what the look meant with the word
'Home' as we walked and watched the sunset blurred.
And then to me the word, only the word,
'Homesick', as it were playfully occurred:
No more.
If I should ever more admit
Than the mere word I could not endure it
For a day longer: this captivity
Must somehow come to an end, else I should be
Another man, as often now I seem,
Or this life be only an evil dream.
Scheme | XXXXX XA BBACCDEX EX DXFFXGGH HIIIIX JJDDKK |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11010110100 1111010111 11001111 1101101111 11010010101 111010111 0111111011 11101011011 0111110111 1111010101 1011111101 1011111101 1011111111 11110101010 0101 11111 0111010111 0111010111 0101011011 1111110111 0111010111 1001001101 10100111011 110001011 10010011111 1001110101 1111011101 111101011 0111011001 111010001 11 11110101 1011111011 1011010100 1111111111 0101110111 1111101101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,488 |
Words | 298 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 2, 8, 2, 8, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 37 |
Letters per line (avg) | 32 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 167 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 42 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:29 min read
- 104 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Home 2" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/9850/home-2>.
Discuss this Edward Thomas 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