Analysis of Vanitas! Vanitatum Vanitas!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 (Frankfurt) – 1832 (Weimar)
MY trust in nothing now is placed,
Hurrah!
So in the world true joy I taste,
Hurrah!
Then he who would be a comrade of mine
Must rattle his glass, and in chorus combine,
Over these dregs of wine.
I placed my trust in gold and wealth,
Hurrah!
But then I lost all joy and health,
Lack-a-day!
Both here and there the money roll'd,
And when I had it here, behold,
From there had fled the gold!
I placed my trust in women next,
Hurrah!
But there in truth was sorely vex'd,
Lack-a-day!
The False another portion sought,
The True with tediousness were fraught,
The Best could not be bought.
My trust in travels then I placed,
Hurrah!
And left my native land in haste.
Lack-a-day!
But not a single thing seem'd good,
The beds were bad, and strange the food,
And I not understood.
I placed my trust in rank and fame,
Hurrah!
Another put me straight to shame,
Lack-a-day!
And as I had been prominent,
All scowl'd upon me as I went,
I found not one content.
I placed my trust in war and fight,
Hurrah!
We gain'd full many a triumph bright,
Hurrah!
Into the foeman's land we cross'd,
We put our friends to equal cost,
And there a leg I lost.
My trust is placed in nothing now,
Hurrah!
At my command the world must bow,
Hurrah!
And as we've ended feast and strain,
The cup we'll to the bottom drain;
No dregs must there remain!
Scheme | a Ba Bccc d Bd Efff g Bg Ehhx a Ba Eixi j Bj Exkk l Bl Bmxm n Bn Booo |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11010111 01 10011111 01 111110111 11011001010 101111 11110101 01 11111101 101 11010101 01111101 111101 11110101 01 11011101 101 01010101 011101 011111 11010111 01 01110101 101 11010111 01010101 01101 11110101 01 01011111 101 01111100 11011111 111110 11110101 01 111100101 01 0101111 111011101 010111 11110101 01 11010111 01 01110101 01110101 111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,358 |
Words | 252 |
Sentences | 23 |
Stanzas | 21 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 2, 4, 1, 2, 4, 1, 2, 4, 1, 2, 4, 1, 2, 4, 1, 2, 4, 1, 2, 4 |
Lines Amount | 49 |
Letters per line (avg) | 20 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 47 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 12 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 08, 2023
- 1:18 min read
- 275 Views
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"Vanitas! Vanitatum Vanitas!" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/21920/vanitas%21-vanitatum-vanitas%21>.
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