Analysis of The Rule Of Life Expanded

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



IF thou wouldst live unruffled by care,
Let not the past torment thee e'er;
If any loss thou hast to rue,
Act as though thou wert born anew;
Inquire the meaning of each day,
What each day means itself will say;
In thine own actions take thy pleasure,
What others do, thou'lt duly treasure;
Ne'er let thy breast with hate be supplied,
And to God the future confide.

IF wealth is gone--then something is gone!

Quick, make up thy mind,

And fresh wealth find.
If honour is gone--then much is gone!

Seek glory to find,

And people then will alter their mind.
If courage is gone--then all is gone!
'Twere better that thou hadst never been born.

HE who with life makes sport,

Can prosper never;
Who rules himself in nought,

Is a slave ever.

MAY each honest effort be

Crown'd with lasting constancy.

EACH road to the proper end
Runs straight on, without a bend.


Scheme XABBCCAADD E F FE F FEX X AC A G G HH
Poetic Form
Metre 111101011 11011110 11011111 11111101 01010111 11110111 011101110 110111010 111111101 01101001 111111011 11111 0111 11111111 11011 010111011 110111111 1101111011 111111 11010 110101 10110 1110101 1110100 1110101 1110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 850
Words 161
Sentences 11
Stanzas 12
Stanza Lengths 10, 1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2
Lines Amount 26
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 55
Words per stanza (avg) 13
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

49 sec read
102

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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

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