Analysis of Robin's Mistake

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



What do you think Red Robin
Found by a mow of hay?
Why, a flask brimful of liquor,
That the mowers brought that day
To slake their thirst in the hayfield.
And Robin he shook his head:
'Now, I wonder what they call it,
And how it tastes?' he said.

'I have seen the mowers drink it-
Why isn't it good for me?
So I'll just draw out the stopper
And get at the stuff, and see!'
But alas! for the curious Robin,
One draught, and he burned his throat
From his bill to his poor crop's lining,
And he could not utter a note.

And his head grew light and dizzy,
And he staggered left and right,
Tipped over the flask of brandy,
And spilled it, every mite.
But after awhile he sobered,
And quietly flew away,
And he never has tasted liquor,
Or touched it, since that day.

But I heard him say to his kindred.
In the course of a friendly chat,
'These men think they are above us,
Yet they drink such stuff as that!
Oh, the poor degraded creatures!
I am glad I am only a bird!'
Then he flew up over the meadow,
And that was all I heard.


Scheme ABCBXDED EFCFAGXG FHFHIBCB XJXJXIXI
Poetic Form
Metre 1111110 110111 1011110 1010111 1111001 0101111 11101111 011111 11101011 1101111 11111010 0110101 1011010010 1101111 111111110 01111001 01111010 0110101 11001110 0111001 11001110 0100101 011011010 111111 111111110 00110101 11111011 1111111 10101010 111111001 11111001 011111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 998
Words 210
Sentences 16
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 193
Words per stanza (avg) 51
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:03 min read
54

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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

All Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems | Ella Wheeler Wilcox Books

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