A Soldier Lad

Alan S Jeeves 1951 (Lancashire)



He, lying cold, this lonely night
Far from his home - some distant land,
The soldier lad who came to fight.

And marching tall, a-left, a-right,
A Queen's cadet at her command,
He, lying cold, this lonely night.

He feared the day, as well he might,
As his detachment made their stand,
The soldier lad who came to fight.

Then as the sky was rendered bright
With shells a-plenty bursting fanned,
He, lying cold, this lonely night.

His battle raging at its height,
There, midst the turmoil, trumped the band,
The soldier lad who came to fight.

So far away the morning's light
And late to come to reprimand.
He, lying cold, this lonely night
The soldier lad who came to fight.

About this poem

A Victorian style (8 syllable) villanelle. This 2012 write differs from most villanelles in that its theme is not pastoral. However, it uses the villanelle form.

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Submitted by AlanSJeeves on July 20, 2021

Modified on March 05, 2023

37 sec read
5

Quick analysis:

Scheme AbA abA abA abA abA abAA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 653
Words 122
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4

Alan S Jeeves

Alan S Jeeves is a Lancashire (England) born, Yorkshire based classical poet. more…

All Alan S Jeeves poems | Alan S Jeeves Books

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    "A Soldier Lad" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/105349/a-soldier-lad>.

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