Analysis of Fable L: The Hare and Many Friends
John Gay 1685 – 1732
Friendship, as love, is but a name,
Save in a concentrated flame;
And thus, in friendships, who depend
On more than one, find not one friend.
A hare who, in a civil way,
Was not dissimilar to GAY,
Was well known never to offend,
And every creature was her friend.
As was her wont, at early dawn,
She issued to the dewy lawn;
When, from the wood and empty lair,
The cry of hounds fell on her ear.
She started at the frightful sounds,
And doubled to mislead the hounds;
Till, fainting with her beating heart,
She saw the horse, who fed apart.
'My friend, the hounds are on my track;
Oh, let me refuge on your back! '
The horse responded: 'Honest Puss,
It grieves me much to see you thus.
Be comforted-relief is near;
Behold, the bull is in the rear.'
Then she implored the stately bull,
His answer we relate in full:
'Madam, each beast alive can tell
How very much I wish you well;
But business presses in a heap,
I an appointment have to keep;
And now a lady's in the case,-
When other things, you know, give place.
Behold the goat is just behind;
Trust, trust you'll not think me unkind.'
The goat declared his rocky lairs
Wholly unsuited were to hares.
'There is the sheep,' he said, 'with fleece.
Adapted, now, to your release.'
The sheep replied that she was sure
Her weight was too great to endure;
'Besides,' she said, 'hounds worry sheep.'
Next was a calf, safe in a keep:
'Oh, help me, bull-calf-lend me aid! '
'My youth and inexperience weighed,'
Replied the bull-calf, 'though I rue it,
Make me incompetent to do it;
My friends might take offence. My heart-
You know my heart, my friend-we part,
I do assure you-Hark! adieu!
The pack, in full cry, is in view.'
Scheme | AABB CCBBDDXXEEFFGG XXHH IIJJKKLLMM EXNN OOK KP PQQFFRR |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 10111101 1001001 01010101 11111111 01100101 11010011 11110101 010010101 11011101 11010101 11010101 01111101 11010101 01010101 11010101 11011101 11011111 11110111 01010101 11111111 11000111 01011001 11010101 11010101 10110111 11011111 11010001 11010111 01010001 11011111 01011101 11111101 01011101 10010011 11011111 01011101 01011111 01111101 01111101 11011001 11111111 11001001 010111111 110100111 1111111 11111111 11011101 01011101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,641 |
Words | 322 |
Sentences | 19 |
Stanzas | 8 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 14, 4, 10, 4, 3, 2, 7 |
Lines Amount | 48 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 157 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 39 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 20, 2023
- 1:34 min read
- 181 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Fable L: The Hare and Many Friends" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/22767/fable-l%3A-the-hare-and-many-friends>.
Discuss this John Gay poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In