Analysis of Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night
Vigil strange I kept on the field one night;
When you my son and my comrade dropt at my side that day,
One look I but gave which your dear eyes return'd with a look I shall never forget,
One touch of your hand to mine O boy, reach'd up as you lay on the ground,
Then onward I sped in the battle, the even-contested battle,
Till late in the night reliev'd to the place at last again I made my way,
Found you in death so cold dear comrade, found your body son of responding kisses, (never again on earth responding,)
Bared your face in the starlight, curious the scene, cool blew the moderate night-wind,
Long there and then in vigil I stood, dimly around me the battle-field spreading,
Vigil wondrous and vigil sweet there in the fragrant silent night,
But not a tear fell, not even a long-drawn sigh, long, long I gazed,
Then on the earth partially reclining sat by your side leaning my chin in my hands,
Passing sweet hours, immortal and mystic hours with you dearest comrade -- not a tear, not a word,
Vigil of silence, love and death, vigil for you my son and my soldier,
As onward silently stars aloft, eastward new ones upward stole,
Vigil final for you brave boy, (I could not save you, swift was your death,
I faithfully loved you and cared for you living, I think we shall surely meet again,)
Till at latest lingering of the night, indeed just as the dawn appear'd,
My comrade I wrapt in his blanket, envelop'd well his form,
Folded the blanket well, tucking it carefully over head and carefully under feet,
And there and then and bathed by the rising sun, my son in his grave, in his rude-dug grave I deposited,
Ending my vigil strange with that, vigil of night and battle-field dim,
Vigil for boy of responding kisses, (never again on earth responding,)
Vigil for comrade swiftly slain, vigil I never forget, how as day brighten'd,
I rose from the chill ground and folded my soldier well in his blanket,
And buried him where he fell.
Scheme | ABCDEBFGFAHIJKLMNOPQRSFTUV |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1011110111 1111011111111 11111111101101111001 11111111111111101 11011001001001010 110010110111011111 1101111111101101010100111010 1110011000111010011 11010101110011010110 1010010110010101 1101111001111111 110110001011111011011 101100100101011101101101 101101011011110110 1101001011011101 10101111111111111 110011011110111110101 111010010101110101 11110110010111 1001011011001010100101 01010110101110110111110100 10110111101101011 1011101010100111010 1011101101100111110 11101101011010110 0101111 |
Characters | 1,984 |
Words | 363 |
Sentences | 2 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 26 |
Lines Amount | 26 |
Letters per line (avg) | 58 |
Words per line (avg) | 14 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 1,513 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 358 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 08, 2023
- 1:50 min read
- 97 Views
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