Analysis of Sans Souci
William Schwenck Gilbert 1836 – 1911
I cannot tell what this love may be
That cometh to all but not to me.
It cannot be kind as they'd imply,
Or why do these gentle ladies sigh?
It cannot be joy and rapture deep,
Or why do these gentle ladies weep?
It cannot be blissful, as 'tis said,
Or why are their eyes so wondrous red?
If love is a thorn, they show no wit
Who foolishly hug and foster it.
If love is a weed, how simple they
Who gather and gather it, day by day!
If love is a nettle that makes you smart,
Why do you wear it next your heart?
And if it be neither of these, say I,
Why do you sit and sob and sigh?
Scheme | AABBCCDD EEFFGGBB |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 110111111 110111111 110111101 111110101 110110101 111110101 110110111 111111101 111011111 110010101 111011101 1100101111 1110101111 11111111 0111101111 11110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 572 |
Words | 126 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 16 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 218 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 62 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 01, 2023
- 38 sec read
- 128 Views
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"Sans Souci" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/41262/sans-souci>.
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