Analysis of Mysterious doings

Eugene Field 1850 (St. Louis) – 1895 (Chicago)



As once I rambled in the woods
 I chanced to spy amid the brake
A huntsman ride his way beside
 A fair and passing tranquil lake;
Though velvet bucks sped here and there,
 He let them scamper through the green--
Not one smote he, but lustily
 He blew his horn--what could it mean?

As on I strolled beside that lake,
 A pretty maid I chanced to see
Fishing away for finny prey,
 Yet not a single one caught she;
All round her boat the fishes leapt
 And gambolled to their hearts' content,
Yet never a thing did the maid but sing--
 I wonder what on earth it meant.

As later yet I roamed my way,
 A lovely steed neighed loud and long,
And an empty boat sped all afloat
 Where sang a fishermaid her song;
All underneath the prudent shade,
 Which yonder kindly willows threw,
Together strayed a youth and maid--
 I can't explain it all, can you?


Scheme XAXAXBXB ACDCXEXE DFXFGHGH
Poetic Form
Metre 11110001 11110101 01011101 01010101 11011101 11110101 111111 11111111 11110111 01011111 1001111 11010111 11010101 0111110 1100110111 11011111 11011111 01011101 011011101 110101 1010101 1101011 01010101 11011111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 826
Words 160
Sentences 4
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 215
Words per stanza (avg) 53
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

48 sec read
92

Eugene Field

Eugene Field, Sr. was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays. more…

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