Analysis of The Unpardonable Sin

Gilbert Keith Chesterton 1874 (Kensington, London) – 1936 (Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire)



I do not cry, beloved, neither curse.
 Silence and strength, these two at least are good.
 He gave me sun and start and aught He could,
But not a woman's love; for that is hers.

He sealed her heart from sage and questioner --
 Yea, with seven seals, as he has sealed the grave.
 And if she give it to a drunken slave,
The Day of Judgment shall not challenge her.

Only this much: if one, deserving well,
 Touching your thin young hands and making suit,
 Feel not himself a crawling thing, a brute,
Buried and bricked in a forgotten hell;

Prophet and poet be he over sod,
 Prince among angels in the highest place,
 God help me, I will smite him on the face,
Before the glory of the face of God.


Scheme XAAX BCCB DEED FGGF
Poetic Form Quatrain  (75%)
Metre 111101101 1001111111 1111010111 1101011110 1101110100 11101111101 0111110101 0111011100 1011110101 1011110101 1101010101 1001000101 1001011101 1011000101 1111111101 0101010111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 701
Words 135
Sentences 7
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 131
Words per stanza (avg) 33
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

40 sec read
33

Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an influential English writer of the early 20th century His diverse output included journalism philosophy poetry biography Christian apologetics fantasy and detective fiction Gilbert Keith Chesterton KC*SG was an English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic. He has been referred to as the "prince of paradox". Time magazine observed of his writing style: "Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out." more…

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