Analysis of Love's Logic

Henry Timrod 1828 (Charleston) – 1867 (Columbia)



And if I ask thee for a kiss,
I ask no more than this sweet breeze,
With far less title to the bliss,
Steals every minute at his ease.
And yet how placid is thy brow!
It seems to woo the bold caress,
While now he takes his kiss, and now
All sorts of freedoms with thy dress.

Or if I dare thy hand to touch,
Hath nothing pressed its palm before?
A flower, I'm sure, hath done as much,
And ah! some senseless diamond more.
It strikes me, love, the very rings,
Now sparkling on that hand of thine,
Could tell some truly startling things,
If they had tongues or touch like mine.

Indeed, indeed, I do not know
Of all that thou hast power to grant,
A boon for which I could not show
Some pretty precedent extant.
Suppose, for instance, I should clasp
Thus, -- so, -- and thus! -- thy slender waist --
I would not hold within my grasp
More than this loosened zone embraced.

Oh! put the anger from thine eyes,
Or shut them if they still must frown;
Those lids, despite yon garish skies,
Can bring a timely darkness down.
Then, if in that convenient night,
My lips should press thy dewy mouth,
The touch shall be so soft, so light,
Thou 'lt fancy me -- this gentle South.


Scheme ABABCDCD EFEFGHGH IXIXJKJK LMLMNONO
Poetic Form
Metre 01111101 11111111 11110101 110010111 01110111 11110101 11111101 11110111 11111111 11011101 010111111 01110101 11110101 11011111 11110101 11111111 01011111 111111011 01111111 11010010 01110111 11011101 11110111 11110101 11010111 11111111 11011101 11010101 11010101 11111101 01111111 111011101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,139
Words 228
Sentences 14
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 221
Words per stanza (avg) 57
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:08 min read
43

Henry Timrod

Henry Timrod was an American poet, often called the poet laureate of the Confederacy. more…

All Henry Timrod poems | Henry Timrod Books

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