Analysis of To-day
Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803 (Boston) – 1882 (Concord)
I rake no coffined clay, nor publish wide
The resurrection of departed pride.
Safe in their ancient crannies, dark and deep,
Let kings and conquerors, saints and soldiers sleep--
Late in the world,--too late perchance for fame,
Just late enough to reap abundant blame,--
I choose a novel theme, a bold abuse
Of critic charters, an unlaurelled Muse.
Old mouldy men and books and names and lands
Disgust my reason and defile my hands.
I had as lief respect an ancient shoe,
As love old things for age, and hate the new.
I spurn the Past, my mind disdains its nod,
Nor kneels in homage to so mean a God.
I laugh at those who, while they gape and gaze,
The bald antiquity of China praise.
Youth is (whatever cynic tubs pretend)
The fault that boys and nations soonest mend.
Scheme | AABBCCXX DDEEFFGGHH |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111111101 001010101 1011010101 11010010101 1001110111 1101110101 1101010101 11010111 1101010101 011100111 1111011101 1111110101 1101110111 1101011101 1111111101 0101001101 111010101 0111010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 760 |
Words | 144 |
Sentences | 8 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 10 |
Lines Amount | 18 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 300 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 70 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 43 sec read
- 71 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"To-day" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/29889/to-day>.
Discuss this Ralph Waldo Emerson 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