Analysis of Love

George Herbert 1593 (Montgomery) – 1633 (Bemerton)



LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
   Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
   From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
   If I lack'd anything.

'A guest,' I answer'd, 'worthy to be here:'
   Love said, 'You shall be he.'
'I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
   I cannot look on Thee.'
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
   'Who made the eyes but I?'

'Truth, Lord; but I have marr'd them: let my shame
   Go where it doth deserve.'
'And know you not,' says Love, 'Who bore the blame?'
   'My dear, then I will serve.'
'You must sit down,' says Love, 'and taste my meat.'
   So I did sit and eat.


Scheme ABABCC XDXDEE FGFGHH
Poetic Form
Metre 1111011111 101101 1111010111 111100 1101110100 11110 0111010111 111111 1001010111 110111 1111010101 110111 1111111111 111101 0111111101 111111 1111110111 111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 679
Words 136
Sentences 12
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 154
Words per stanza (avg) 41
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 24, 2023

38 sec read
183

George Herbert

The Very Reverend Honourable George Herbert was an Anglican priest. more…

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