Analysis of The Four Elements.
Anne Bradstreet 1612 (Northampton) – 1672 (Andover)
The Fire, Air, Earth and water did contest
Which was the strongest, noblest and the best,
Who was of greatest use and might'est force;
In placide Terms they thought now to discourse,
That in due order each her turn should speak;
But enmity this amity did break
All would be chief, and all scorn'd to be under
Whence issu'd winds & rains, lightning & thunder
The quaking earth did groan, the Sky lookt black
The Fire, the forced Air, in sunder crack;
The sea did threat the heav'ns, the heavn's the earth,
All looked like a Chaos or new birth:
Fire broyled Earth, & scorched Earth it choaked
Both by their darings, water so provoked
That roaring in it came, and with its source
Soon made the Combatants abate their force
The rumbling hissing, puffing was so great
The worlds confusion, it did seem to threat
Till gentle Air, Contention so abated
That betwixt hot and cold, she arbitrated
The others difference, being less did cease
All storms now laid, and they in perfect peace
That Fire should first begin, the rest consent,
The noblest and most active Element.
Scheme | AABBCDEEFFGGAHBBIJKKLLMN |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 01011010110 1101010001 11110101011 011111110 1011010111 1100110011 11110111110 110111010 0101110111 0100110101 0111010101 111010111 10111111 111110101 1100110111 1100100111 01001010111 0101011111 11010101010 1011011100 01010010111 1111010011 11011010101 0100110100 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,047 |
Words | 191 |
Sentences | 2 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 24 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 838 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 189 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 23, 2023
- 58 sec read
- 166 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The Four Elements." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/3104/the-four-elements.>.
Discuss this Anne Bradstreet 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