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 Views
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