Analysis of Contrasts

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



I see the tall church steeples,
 They reach so far, so far,
But the eyes of my heart see the world’s great mart,
 Where the starving people are.

I hear the church bells ringing
 Their chimes on the morning air;
But my soul’s sad ear is hurt to hear
 The poor man’s cry of despair.

Thicker and thicker the churches,
 Nearer and nearer the sky –
But alack for their creeds while the poor man’s needs
 Grow deeper as years roll by.


Scheme XAXA XBXB XCXC
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 1101110 111111 10111110111 1010101 1101110 1110101 111111111 0111101 10010010 1001001 1111110111 1101111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 440
Words 84
Sentences 4
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 12
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 109
Words per stanza (avg) 27
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

25 sec read
349

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. more…

All Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems | Ella Wheeler Wilcox Books

2 fans

Discuss this Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Contrasts" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/10573/contrasts>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    14
    hours
    8
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    William Blake: "Tiger Tiger, burning bright, In the forests of the _________".
    A knight
    B night
    C bites
    D fight