Analysis of Orkney Lullaby

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



A moonbeam floateth from the skies,
Whispering, "Heigho, my dearie!
I would spin a web before your eyes,--
A beautiful web of silver light,
Wherein is many a wondrous sight
Of a radiant garden leagues away,
Where the softly tinkling lilies sway,
And the snow-white lambkins are at play,--
   Heigho, my dearie!"

A brownie stealeth from the vine
   Singing, "Heigho, my dearie!
And will you hear this song of mine,--
A song of the land of murk and mist
Where bideth the bud the dew hath kist?
Then let the moonbeam's web of light
Be spun before thee silvery white,
And I shall sing the livelong night,--
   Heigho, my dearie!"

The night wind speedeth from the sea,
   Murmuring, "Heigho, my dearie!
I bring a mariner's prayer for thee;
So let the moonbeam veil thine eyes,
And the brownie sing thee lullabies;
But I shall rock thee to and fro,
Kissing the brow he loveth so,
And the prayer shall guard thy bed, I trow,--
   Heigho, my dearie!"


Scheme abaccdddB ebeffcccB gbgaabxbB
Poetic Form
Metre 011101 100111 111010111 010011101 011100101 1010010101 1010100101 00111111 111 0101101 10111 01111111 011011101 11010111 1101111 110111001 0111011 111 0111101 100111 1101111 1101111 00101110 11111101 1001111 001111111 111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 924
Words 177
Sentences 8
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 9, 9, 9
Lines Amount 27
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 236
Words per stanza (avg) 56
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 21, 2023

52 sec read
102

Eugene Field

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

All Eugene Field poems | Eugene Field Books

2 fans

Discuss this Eugene Field poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Orkney Lullaby" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/13023/orkney-lullaby>.

    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.
    0
    days
    21
    hours
    53
    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?

    »
    What is the term for the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
    A Enjambment
    B Line break
    C A turn
    D Dithyramb