A Dirge For McPherson
Herman Melville 1819 – 1891
Arms reversed and banners creped -
Muffled drums;
Snowy horses sable-draped -
McPherson comes.
But, tell us, shall we know him more,
Lost-Mountain and lone Kenesaw?
Brave the sword upon the pall -
A gleam in gloom;
So a bright name lighteth all
McPherson's doom.
Bear him through the chapel-door -
Let priest in stole
Pace before the warrior
Who led. Bell -toll!
Lay him down within the nave,
The lesson read -
Man is noble, man is brave,
But man's - a weed.
Take him up again and wend
Graveward, nor weep:
There's a trumpet that shall rend
This Soldier's sleep.
Pass the ropes the coffin round,
And let descend;
Prayer and volley - let it sound
McPherson's end.
True fame is his, for life is o'er -
Sarpedon of the mighty war.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 13, 2023
- 42 sec read
- 112 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CB XDXD CEFE GAGA AHAH AAAA FC |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 708 |
Words | 136 |
Stanzas | 8 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 2, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 2 |
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"A Dirge For McPherson" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/19047/a-dirge-for-mcpherson>.
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