Analysis of Legend

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 (Frankfurt) – 1832 (Weimar)



THERE lived in the desert a holy man

To whom a goat-footed Faun one day
Paid a visit, and thus began

To his surprise: 'I entreat thee to pray
That grace to me and my friends may be given,
That we may be able to mount to Heaven,
For great is our thirst for heav'nly bliss.'
The holy man made answer to this:
'Much danger is lurking in thy petition,
Nor will it be easy to gain admission;
Thou dost not come with an angel's salute;
For I see thou wearest a cloven foot.'
The wild man paused, and then answer'd he:
'What doth my goat's foot matter to thee?
Full many I've known into heaven to pass
Straight and with ease, with the head of an ass!'


Scheme A BA BCCDDCCXXEEFF
Poetic Form
Metre 1100100101 110110111 10100101 110111111 11110111110 11111011110 111101111 010111011 11011001010 11111011010 111111101 11111011 011101101 111111011 11011011011 1011101111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 637
Words 133
Sentences 5
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 1, 2, 13
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 31
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 163
Words per stanza (avg) 43
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 28, 2023

40 sec read
177

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer and politician. more…

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