Analysis of Visitor

William Ernest Henley 1849 (Gloucester) – 1903 (Woking)



Her little face is like a walnut shell
With wrinkling lines; her soft, white hair adorns
Her withered brows in quaint, straight curls, like horns;
And all about her clings an old, sweet smell.
Prim is her gown and quakerlike her shawl.
Well might her bonnets have been born on her.
Can you conceive a Fairy Godmother
The subject of a strong religious call?
In snow or shine, from bed to bed she runs,
All twinkling smiles and texts and pious tales,
Her mittened hands, that ever give or pray,
Bearing a sheaf of tracts, a bag of buns:
A wee old maid that sweeps the Bridegroom's way,
Strong in a cheerful trust that never fails.


Scheme ABBACDDCEFGEGF
Poetic Form
Metre 010111011 11001011101 0101011111 0101011111 11010101 110111110 110101010 0011010101 0111111111 11001010101 011110111 1001110111 011111011 1001011101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 623
Words 118
Sentences 6
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 35
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 493
Words per stanza (avg) 116
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
26

William Ernest Henley

William Ernest Henley was an English poet, critic and editor, best remembered for his 1875 poem "Invictus". more…

All William Ernest Henley poems | William Ernest Henley Books

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