Analysis of Change Upon Change
Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806 (Kelloe) – 1861 (Florence)
Five months ago the stream did flow,
The lilies bloomed within the sedge,
And we were lingering to and fro,
Where none will track thee in this snow,
Along the stream, beside the hedge.
Ah, Sweet, be free to love and go!
For if I do not hear thy foot,
The frozen river is as mute,
The flowers have dried down to the root:
And why, since these be changed since May,
Shouldst thou change less than they.
And slow, slow as the winter snow
The tears have drifted to mine eyes;
And my poor cheeks, five months ago
Set blushing at thy praises so,
Put paleness on for a disguise.
Ah, Sweet, be free to praise and go!
For if my face is turned too pale,
It was thine oath that first did fail, --
It was thy love proved false and frail, --
And why, since these be changed enow,
Should I change less than thou.
Scheme | ABAABAXCCDD AEAAEAFFFXX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11010111 01010101 010100101 11111011 01010101 11111101 11111111 01010111 010111101 01111111 111111 01110101 01110111 01111101 11011101 1111001 11111101 11111111 11111111 11111101 0111111 111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 865 |
Words | 160 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 11, 11 |
Lines Amount | 22 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 304 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 79 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 02, 2023
- 48 sec read
- 336 Views
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"Change Upon Change" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/10219/change-upon-change>.
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