Analysis of The brook

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



I looked in the brook and saw a face -
Heigh-ho, but a child was I!
There were rushes and willows in that place,
And they clutched at the brook as the brook ran by;
And the brook it ran its own sweet way,
As a child doth run in heedless play,
And as it ran I heard it say:
"Hasten with me
To the roistering sea
That is wroth with the flame of the morning sky!"

I look in the brook and see a face -
Heigh-ho, but the years go by!
The rushes are dead in the old-time place,
And the willows I knew when a child was I.
And the brook it seemeth to me to say,
As ever it stealeth on its way -
Solemnly now, and not in play:
"Oh, come with me
To the slumbrous sea
That is gray with the peace of the evening sky!"

Heigh-ho, but the years go by -
I would to God that a child were I!


Scheme ababcccddb aBabcccddb Bb
Poetic Form
Metre 110010101 1110111 101001011 01110110111 001111111 10111011 01111111 1011 1011 11110110101 110010101 1110111 0101100111 0011110111 001111111 11011111 10010101 1111 1011 11110110101 1110111 111110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 760
Words 172
Sentences 7
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 10, 10, 2
Lines Amount 22
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 192
Words per stanza (avg) 56
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

51 sec read
34

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

    "The brook" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/13058/the-brook>.

    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.
    2
    days
    4
    hours
    47
    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?

    »
    The opposite of poetry is _______.
    A Prose
    B Literalism
    C Somnolence
    D Verse