Analysis of Whisperings in Wattle-Boughs
Oh, gaily sings the bird, and the wattle-boughs are stirr'd
And rustled by the scented breath of spring ;
Oh, the dreary, wistful longing ! Oh, the faces that are thronging !
Oh, the voices that are vaguely whispering !
Oh, tell me, father mine, ere the good ship cross'd the brine,
On the gangway one mute hand-grip we exchanged,
Do you, past the grave, employ, for your stubborn reckless boy,
Those petitions that in life were ne'er estranged ?
Oh, tell me, sister dear, parting word and parting tear
Never pass'd between us ;—let me bear the blame.
Are you living, girl, or dead ? bitter tears since then I've shed
For the lips that lisp'd with mine a mother's name.
Oh, tell me, ancient friend, ever ready to defend,
In our boyhood, at the base of life's long hill,
Are you waking yet, or sleeping ? have you left this vale of weeping?
Or do you, like our comrade, linger still ?
Oh, whisper, buried love, is there rest and peace above ?—
There is little hope or comfort here below ;—
On your sweet face lies the mould, and your bed is strait and cold—
Near the harbour where the sea-tides ebb and flow.
All silent—they are dumb—and the breezes go and come
With an apathy that mocks at man's distress ;
Laugh, scoffer, while you may ! I could bow me down and pray
For an answer that might stay my bitterness.
Oh, harshly screams the bird ! and the wattle-bloom is stirr'd !
There's a sullen weird-like whisper in the bough :
'Aye, kneel, and pray, and weep, but His beloved sleep
Can never be disturb'd by such as thou !!'
Scheme | ABBB XCXC XDXD XEBE XFXF XXXX AGXG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (71%) |
Metre | 1101010010111 011010111 101010101010111 10101110100 1111011011101 1011111101 11101011110101 10101010101 1111011010101 10101111101 11101111011111 10111110101 1111011010101 01011011111 1110111011111110 1111101101 1101011110101 11101110101 11111010111101 10101011101 1101110010101 11100111101 111111111101 11101111100 1101010010111 10101110001 11010111011 1101011111 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,551 |
Words | 275 |
Sentences | 25 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 28 |
Letters per line (avg) | 41 |
Words per line (avg) | 10 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 165 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 41 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:25 min read
- 112 Views
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"Whisperings in Wattle-Boughs" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 15 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/196/whisperings-in-wattle-boughs>.
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