Analysis of My Dear and Only Love

James Graham 1612 (Edinburgh) – 1650 (Edinburgh)



My dear and only Love, I pray
      This noble world of thee
    Be govern'd by no other sway
      But purest monarchy;
    For if confusion have a part,
      Which virtuous souls abhor,
    And hold a synod in thy heart,
      I'll never love thee more.

Like Alexander I will reign,
    And I will reign alone,
  My thoughts shall evermore disdain
    A rival on my throne.
  He either fears his fate too much,
    Or his deserts are small,
  That puts it not unto the touch
    To win or lose it all.

But I must rule and govern still,
    And always give the law,
  And have each subject at my will,
    And all to stand in awe.
  But 'gainst my battery, if I find
    Thou shunn'st the prize so sore
  As that thou sett'st me up a blind,
    I'll never love thee more.

Or in the empire of thy heart,
    Where I should solely be,
  Another do pretend a part
    And dares to vie with me;
  Or if committees thou erect,
    And go on such a score,
  I'll sing and laugh at thy neglect,
    And never love thee more.

But if thou wilt be constant then,
    And faithful of thy word,
  I'll make thee glorious by my pen
    And famous by my sword:
  I'll serve thee in such noble ways
    Was never heard before;
  I'll crown and deck thee all with bays,
    And love thee evermore.


Scheme ababcdcD efefghgh ixixjdjD cbcbkdkd lxlxmdmd
Poetic Form Etheree  (28%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 11010111 110111 11011101 110100 11010101 1100101 01010011 110111 1010111 011101 1111001 010111 11011111 111011 11111001 111111 11110101 01101 01101111 011101 111100111 110111 11111101 110111 100100111 1111001 01010101 011111 11010101 011101 11011101 010111 11111101 010111 111100111 010111 11101101 110101 11011111 01110
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,268
Words 234
Sentences 8
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 40
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 177
Words per stanza (avg) 46
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

1:12 min read
206

James Graham

James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman, poet and soldier, lord lieutenant and later viceroy and captain general of Scotland. Montrose initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed. From 1644 to 1646, and again in 1650, he fought in the civil war in Scotland on behalf of the King. He is referred to as the Great Montrose. more…

All James Graham poems | James Graham Books

0 fans

Discuss this James Graham poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "My Dear and Only Love" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20096/my-dear-and-only-love>.

    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.
    1
    day
    18
    hours
    4
    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 repetition of vowel sounds is an example of _______.
    A assonance
    B rhyme
    C rhythm
    D repetition