Analysis of The Rat-Catcher

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



I AM the bard known far and wide,
The travell'd rat-catcher beside;
A man most needful to this town,
So glorious through its old renown.
However many rats I see,
How many weasels there may be,
I cleanse the place from ev'ry one,
All needs must helter-skelter run.

Sometimes the bard so full of cheer
As a child-catcher will appear,
Who e'en the wildest captive brings,
Whene'er his golden tales he sings.
However proud each boy in heart,
However much the maidens start,
I bid the chords sweet music make,
And all must follow in my wake.

Sometimes the skillful bard ye view
In the form of maiden-catcher too;
For he no city enters e'er,
Without effecting wonders there.
However coy may be each maid,
However the women seem afraid,
Yet all will love-sick be ere long
To sound of magic lute and song.


Scheme AABBCCDD EEFFGGHH IIXXJJKK
Poetic Form
Metre 11011101 01011001 01110111 110011101 1010111 11010111 1101111 11110101 01011111 10110101 111010101 1110111 1011101 1010101 11011101 01110011 01010111 001110101 111101010 01010101 1011111 10010101 11111111 11110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 782
Words 146
Sentences 7
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 208
Words per stanza (avg) 48
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

45 sec read
100

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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

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