'Our Fathers Also'
Thrones, Powers, Dominions, Peoples, Kings,Are changing 'neath our hand;Our fathers also see these thingsBut they do not understand.
By--they are by with mirth and tears,Wit or the works of Desire--Cushioned about on the kindly yearsBetween the wall and the fire.
The grapes are pressed, the corn is shocked--Standeth no more to glean;For the Gates of Love and Learning lockedWhen they went out between.
All lore our Lady Venus bares,Signalled it was or toldBy the dear lips long given to theirsAnd longer to the mould.
All Profit, all Device, all TruthWritten it was or saidBy the mighty men of their mighty youth,Which is mighty being dead.
The film that floats before their eyesThe Temple's Veil they call;And the dust that on the Shewbread liesIs holy over all.
Warn them of seas that slip our yokeOf slow-conspiring stars--The ancient Front of Things unbrokeBut heavy with new wars?
By--they are by with mirth and tears,Wit or the waste of Desire--Cushioned about on the kindly yearsBetween the wall and the fire.
Words in this poem
- glean n.
- Cleaning; afterbirth. Holland.
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- mould n.
- Crumbling, soft, friable earth; esp., earth containing the remains or constituents of organic matter, and suited to the growth of plants; soil. [OE. molde, AS. molde; akin to D. mul, G. mull, mulm, OHG. molt, molta, Icel. mold, Dan. muld, Sw. mull, Goth. mulda, and E. meal flour. See Meal, and cf. Mole a]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
'Our Fathers Also' is in the public domain. This text is taken from Songs from Books, Project Gutenberg ebook #15529; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Rudyard Kipling, 'Our Fathers Also', in Songs from Books (1912), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #15529, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/kipling-songs-from-books/our-fathers-also.html, id L20330.
Form and metre
'Our Fathers Also' is 32 lines in 8 stanzas of 4 lines each. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, complete in 7 of its 8 stanzas. The metre is common measure, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 89%).
See other poems in common measure.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABAB kingsA · handB · thingsA · understandB
- 2 ABAB tearsA · desireB · yearsA · fireB
- 3 ABAB shockedA · gleanB · lockedA · betweenB
- 4 ABAB baresA · toldB · theirsA · mouldB
- 5 ABAB truthA · saidB · youthA · deadB
- 6 ABAB eyesA · callB · liesA · allB
- 7 A-A- yokeA · stars · unbrokeA · wars
- 8 ABAB tearsA · desireB · yearsA · fireB
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against common measure. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Thrones, Powers, Dominions, Peoples, Kings, | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| Are changing 'neath our hand; | 7 | ·/˘·/˘· |
| Our fathers also see these things | 8 | //˘/˘··· |
| But they do not understand. | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| By--they are by with mirth and tears, | 8 | ········ |
| Wit or the works of Desire-- | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Cushioned about on the kindly years | 9 | /˘····/˘· |
| Between the wall and the fire. | 8 | ······/˘ |
| The grapes are pressed, the corn is shocked-- | 8 | ········ |
| Standeth no more to glean; | 6 | /˘···· |
| For the Gates of Love and Learning locked | 9 | ······/˘· |
| When they went out between. | 6 | ······ |
| All lore our Lady Venus bares, | 8 | ··//˘/˘· |
| Signalled it was or told | 6 | /˘···· |
| By the dear lips long given to theirs | 8 | ·····/·· |
| And longer to the mould. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| All Profit, all Device, all Truth | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| Written it was or said | 6 | /˘···· |
| By the mighty men of their mighty youth, | 10 | ··/˘···/˘· |
| Which is mighty being dead. | 7 | ··/˘/˘· |
| The film that floats before their eyes | 8 | ········ |
| The Temple's Veil they call; | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| And the dust that on the Shewbread lies | 9 | ······/˘· |
| Is holy over all. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Warn them of seas that slip our yoke | 8 | ······/· |
| Of slow-conspiring stars-- | 6 | ··˘/˘· |
| The ancient Front of Things unbroke | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| But heavy with new wars? | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| By--they are by with mirth and tears, | 8 | ········ |
| Wit or the waste of Desire-- | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Cushioned about on the kindly years | 9 | /˘····/˘· |
| Between the wall and the fire. | 8 | ······/˘ |
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