Analysis of Poor Kitty Popcorn

Henry Clay Work 1832 (Middletown, Connecticut) – 1884 (Hartford, Connecticut)



Did you ever hear the story of the loyal cat? Meyow!
Who was faithful to the flag, and ever follow'd that? Meyow!
Oh, she had a happy home beneath a southern sky,
But she pack'd her goods and left it when our troups came nigh,
And she fell into the collumn with a low glad cry, Meyow!

Poor Kitty Popcorn!
Burried in a snow drift now
Never more shall ring the music of your charming song, Meyow!
Never more shall ring the music of your charming song, Meyow!

Round her neck she wore a ribbon -- she was black as jet -- Meyow!
And at once a gallant claim'd her for a soldier's per -- Meyow!
All the perils of the battle and the march she bore,
Climbing on her master's shoulder when her feet were sore,
Whisp'ring in his with wonder at the cannon's roar, Meyow!

Now the "cruel war is over," and the troups disband -- Meyow!
Kitty follows as a pilgrim in the northern land -- Meyow!
Ah! but sorrow overtakes her, and her master dies,
While she sadly sits a gazing in his dim blue eyes,
Till by strangers driven rudely from the door, she cries, Meyow!

So she wanders on the prairie till she sees his form -- Meyow!
Carried forth and buried roughly 'mid the driving storm -- Meyow!
Oh! her slender frame, it shivers in the northern blast,
As she seeks the sandy mound on which the snow falls fast,
And alone amid the darkness there she breathes her last Meyow!


Scheme aabba xxAA aacca aadda aaeea
Poetic Form
Metre 11101010101011 11101010101011 1110101010101 11101011110111 0110101101111 1101 100111 10111010111011 10111010111011 10111010111111 01101010101011 1010101000111 1010101010101 101110101011 10101110001011 10101010001011 111010000101 1110101001111 11101010101111 11101010111111 10101010101011 1010111000101 1110101110111 00101010111011
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 1,339
Words 261
Sentences 20
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 5, 4, 5, 5, 5
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 43
Words per line (avg) 11
Letters per stanza (avg) 207
Words per stanza (avg) 52
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 03, 2023

1:20 min read
134

Henry Clay Work

Henry Clay Work was an American composer and songwriter. more…

All Henry Clay Work poems | Henry Clay Work Books

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