Analysis of Why do I love You, Sir?

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



"Why do I love" You, Sir?
Because—
The Wind does not require the Grass
To answer—Wherefore when He pass
She cannot keep Her place.

Because He knows—and
Do not You—
And We know not—
Enough for Us
The Wisdom it be so—

The Lightning—never asked an Eye
Wherefore it shut—when He was by—
Because He knows it cannot speak—
And reasons not contained—
—Of Talk—
There be—preferred by Daintier Folk—

The Sunrise—Sire—compelleth Me—
Because He's Sunrise—and I see—
Therefore—Then—
I love Thee—


Scheme XXAAX XXXXX BBXXXX CCXC
Poetic Form Tetractys  (40%)
Etheree  (30%)
Metre 111111 01 01111001 1101111 110101 01110 111 0111 0111 010111 01010111 1111111 01111101 010101 11 1101111 011011 0111011 11 111
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 518
Words 84
Sentences 3
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 6, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 19
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 93
Words per stanza (avg) 21
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

25 sec read
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Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

All Emily Dickinson poems | Emily Dickinson Books

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    Which poet is associated with the poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?
    A Maya Angelou
    B Langston Hughes
    C Emily Dickinson
    D Ralph Waldo Emerson