Analysis of Flesh and the Spirit, The
Anne Bradstreet 1612 (Northampton) – 1672 (Andover)
In secret place where once I stood
Close by the Banks of Lacrim flood,
I heard two sisters reason on
Things that are past and things to come.
One Flesh was call'd, who had her eye
On worldly wealth and vanity;
The other Spirit, who did rear
Her thoughts unto a higher sphere.
"Sister," quoth Flesh, "what liv'st thou on
Nothing but Meditation?
Doth Contemplation feed thee so
Regardlessly to let earth go?
Can Speculation satisfy
Notion without Reality?
Dost dream of things beyond the Moon
And dost thou hope to dwell there soon?
Hast treasures there laid up in store
That all in th' world thou count'st but poor?
Art fancy-sick or turn'd a Sot
To catch at shadows which are not?
Come, come. I'll show unto thy sense,
Industry hath its recompence.
What canst desire, but thou maist see
True substance in variety?
Dost honour like? Acquire the same,
As some to their immortal fame;
And trophies to thy name erect
Which wearing time shall ne'er deject.
For riches dost thou long full sore?
Behold enough of precious store.
Earth hath more silver, pearls, and gold
Than eyes can see or hands can hold.
Affects thou pleasure? Take thy fill.
Earth hath enough of what you will.
Then let not go what thou maist find
For things unknown only in mind."
Scheme | ABCDEFGGCHIIEFJJKLMNOIFFPPQQKKRRSSTT |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 01011111 1101111 11110101 11110111 11111101 11010100 01010111 01100101 101111111 101010 1010111 11111 101010 100110 11110101 01111111 11011101 11011111111 11011101 1111111 11111011 100111 110101111 11000100 11101001 11110101 01011101 11011101 11011111 01011101 11110101 11111111 01110111 11011111 11111111 11011001 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,252 |
Words | 227 |
Sentences | 21 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 36 |
Lines Amount | 36 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 977 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 223 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 24, 2023
- 1:09 min read
- 190 Views
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