Analysis of Breakers
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919
When you launch your bark for sailing
On the sea of life, O youth!
Clothe your heart and soul and spirit
In the blessèd garb of Truth.
Guard your every word and action:
Never do and never say
Aught you cannot meet with pleasure
On the mighty judgment-day.
You will meet with rocks and breakers-
Cards and wine the most to fear.
Do not pause nor linger by them,
For the devil lurketh near.
Cards and wine, the two great breakers
That have wrecked so many souls-
Wrecked and shattered, lost to heaven,
At the table-in the bowls.
O young man! life is before you,
Shun the road that leads to death,
God will guide you if you ask him:
'Seek me-here I am!' he saith.
Turn to him in all temptations,
He will help and he will save.
When you feel your courage failing,
He will make you strong and brave.
Scheme | ABXB CDXD EFXF EGCG XXXB XHAH |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain |
Metre | 11111110 1011111 11101010 0011111 111001010 1010101 11101110 1010101 11111010 1010111 11111011 101011 10101110 1111101 10101110 1010001 11111011 1011111 11111111 1111111 11101010 1110111 11111010 1111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 780 |
Words | 155 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 102 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 25 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 46 sec read
- 49 Views
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