Analysis of The Warrior

John McCrae 1872 (Guelph) – 1918 (Boulogne-sur-Mer)



He wrought in poverty, the dull grey days,
 But with the night his little lamp-lit room
Was bright with battle flame, or through a haze
 Of smoke that stung his eyes he heard the boom
Of Bluecher's guns; he shared Almeida's scars,
 And from the close-packed deck, about to die,
Looked up and saw the "Birkenhead"'s tall spars
 Weave wavering lines across the Southern sky:

Or in the stifling 'tween decks, row on row,
 At Aboukir, saw how the dead men lay;
  Charged with the fiercest in Busaco's strife,
Brave dreams are his -- the flick'ring lamp burns low --
 Yet couraged for the battles of the day
  He goes to stand full face to face with life.


Scheme ABABXCAC DEFDEF
Poetic Form
Metre 1101000111 1101110111 1111011101 1111111101 1111111 0101110111 11010111 11001010101 1001011111 11110111 11010011 1111011111 111010101 1111111111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 645
Words 120
Sentences 2
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 35
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 248
Words per stanza (avg) 59
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 23, 2023

37 sec read
109

John McCrae

Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae, MD was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I, and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres, in Belgium. more…

All John McCrae poems | John McCrae Books

0 fans

Discuss this John McCrae poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Warrior" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/23785/the-warrior>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    3
    hours
    18
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote "I have taken the bones you hardened and built daughters"?
    A Robert Hayden
    B Maya Angelou
    C Lucille Clifton
    D Sylvia Plath