Analysis of Atra Cura
William Makepeace Thackeray 1811 – 1863
Before I lost my five poor wits,
I mind me of a Romish clerk,
Who sang how Care, the phantom dark,
Beside the belted horseman sits.
Methought I saw the grisly sprite
Jump up but now behind my Knight.
And though he gallop as he may,
I mark that cursed monster black
Still sits behind his honor's back,
Tight squeezing of his heart alway.
Like two black Templars sit they there,
Beside one crupper, Knight and Care.
No knight am I with pennoned spear,
To prance upon a bold destrere:
I will not have black Care prevail
Upon my long-eared charger's tail,
For lo, I am a witless fool,
And laugh at Grief and ride a mule.
Scheme | AXXABB XCCXDD XDEEFF |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 01111111 1111011 11110101 01010101 1110101 11110111 01110111 1111101 11011101 1101111 11110111 0111101 1111111 1101011 11111101 0111111 11110101 01110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 607 |
Words | 119 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 18 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 160 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 39 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 36 sec read
- 61 Views
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"Atra Cura" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/41000/atra-cura>.
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