Speaker or Narrator, and Point of View
The poem has been written from second person's point of view and the narrator of the poem is an unnamed character who narrates the story of King Alfred of Wessex.
Form and Meter
The poem has been written in ballad form.
Metaphors and Similes
The metaphor of 'trees' has been used for the Danes. The metaphor of a 'madman' has been used for the King by Colan because he considers it a foolish act to fight against the Danes. The metaphor of 'bird' has been used for the people of England. The metaphor of 'grain' has been employed for the future chiefs of England i.e. Colan, Mark and Eldred. The metaphor of a 'broken shell' has been used for the body.
The simile of 'birds' has been used for the Danes when the poet says 'bread like birds in English woods'. The simile of a 'painted plan' has been used for the lands of Mark. The simile of 'sky' has been used for the Danes that they surrounded the people of England like the sky. The simile of 'Christ's sorrows' has been used for the sorrows of women and the whole struggling class.
Alliteration and Assonance
The examples of alliteration in the poem are 'sky grows darker yet', 'more tired of victory', 'patiently plucks', 'till God shall', 'by my sword', 'he that hath', 'the two hosts', 'left of the Latin paladin' and 'dead and dying'. There is a repetition of 'r', 'r', 'p', 'l', 'y', 'h', ' t', 't' and 'd' sounds respectively.
The examples of assonance are 'they choose to follow Alfred or not', 'sea rises higher', 'lift up his head', 'who brought the cross', 'when he let break', 'like a high tide', and all the last are first', and 'we signed him'. There is a repetition of 'o', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'e', 'i', 'a' and 'e','i' sounds respectively.
Irony
The irony in the poem is that the king feels more despair when he focuses on the hope of victory.
Genre
Ballad
Setting
The setting of the poem is England in the ninth century when the Danes invaded it at the time of the reign of King Alfred.
Tone
The tone of the poem is optimistic, passionate and daring.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the poem is King Alfred of Wessex and the antagonists of the poem are the Danes who attacked England.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the poem is between King Alfred and the Danes and between Christianity and Paganism.
Climax
The climax comes when the King understands his obligation of saving nature and of prioritizing his spiritual motives.
Foreshadowing
The defeat of King Alfred in the battle against the Danes has been foreshadowed in the poem through Mary's speech that nothing is certain in life.
Understatement
The understatement in the poem is that we should be aware of our purpose in life and we should strive for it without thinking about the risks. Another understatement is that we should prioritize our spiritual motives over personal motives and we should depict an active attitude instead of a passive attitude.
Allusions
Allusion to Christianity, Paganism, Christ, Mary, natural world, death and afterlife have been employed by the poet.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
An example of synecdoche is 'English woods' and the example of metonymy is 'the Danes'.
Personification
The spiritual attitudes has been personified through the characters of Colan, Eldred and Mark. The courage and virtue has been personified by the King of Wessex.
Hyperbole
An example of hyperbole is 'high cliffs'.
Onomatopoeia
The examples of onomatopoeia are 'strong crying' and 'the noises of night'.
