Analysis of Disguises

Thomas Edward Brown 1830 – 1897



High stretched upon the swinging yard,  
I gather in the sheet;  
But it is hard  
And stiff, and one cries haste.  
Then He that is most dear in my regard          
Of all the crew gives aidance meet;  
But from His hands, and from His feet,  
A glory spreads wherewith the night is starred:  
Moreover of a cup most bitter-sweet  
With fragrance as of nard,         
And myrrh, and cassia spiced,  
He proffers me to taste.  
Then I to Him:—‘Art Thou the Christ?’  
He saith—‘Thou say’st.’  

Like to an ox         
That staggers ’neath the mortal blow,  
She grinds upon the rocks:—  
Then straight and low  
Leaps forth the levelled line, and in our quarter locks  
The cradle’s rigged; with swerving of the blast         
We go,  
Our Captain last—  
Demands  
‘Who fired that shot?’ Each silent stands—  
Ah, sweet perplexity!         
This too was He.  

I have an arbour wherein came a toad  
Most hideous to see—  
Immediate, seizing staff or goad,  
I smote it cruelly.         
Then all the place with subtle radiance glowed—  
I looked, and it was He!


Scheme ABACABBABADCDA EFEFEGFGHHII JIJIJI
Poetic Form
Metre 11010101 110001 1111 010111 1111110101 1101111 11110111 010110111 0101011101 110111 0101001 11111 11111101 1111 1111 11010101 110101 1101 1101010010101 010111101 11 10101 01 110111101 110100 1111 1111001101 110011 010010111 11110 11011101001 110111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,072
Words 183
Sentences 10
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 14, 12, 6
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 245
Words per stanza (avg) 59
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

54 sec read
33

Thomas Edward Brown

Thomas Edward Brown Manx poet scholar and theologian was born at Douglas Isle of Man and educated at King Williams College more…

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