Analysis of Where is Kent? Where is Canterbury?



How, how can I ever return
to the soft and quiet seasons?
Thus the choristers sang
In remembrance of the treachery.
Priests had almost dragged
Becket to the cloisters
Of Sanctuary.
Thinking like ordinary men.
Quick bar the door! Bar the door
Gainst Knights with gleaming blade
Schemes expedience made.
Serving the King’s out-blurted word
The crime as right, most gross absurd.
No, Bishop said, the door
Shall not be barred.
House for the poor, the lost
Privilege barred. Never.
This but a day Cathedral
Stands unchanged.
Even if Lions assault. Deranged.

“Do with me, as you will to your hurt and shame;
But none of my people, in God’s name,
Whether layman or clerk, shall you touch.
This I forbid.”

And Knights snarl out
Their reply.
With darkest
Political eye:
Traitor, traitor, traitor.

(The deed done, but of small standing.
A play-wright’s note in italicized lower case.
While Bishop, seeing his
Master’s face.)


Scheme XXXAXXAXBCCDDBXXEXFF GGXX XHXHE XIXI
Poetic Form
Metre 11111001 10101010 1011 001010100 1111 101010 1100 1011001 1101101 111101 101001 10011101 01111101 110101 1111 110101 10110 1101010 101 101100101 11111111101 111110011 101011111 1101 0111 101 110 01001 101010 01111110 011101101 110101 101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 931
Words 178
Sentences 21
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 20, 4, 5, 4
Lines Amount 33
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 179
Words per stanza (avg) 39

About this poem

Toward the consummation of duty’s calling, heart’s enthralling in Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot. A play.

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Written on March 12, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on March 12, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on March 12, 2023

53 sec read
21

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

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