Analysis of Frank Leigh's Song: A.D. 1586



Ah tyrant Love, Megaera's serpents bearing,
Why thus requite my sighs with venom'd smart?
Ah ruthless dove, the vulture's talons wearing,
Why flesh them, traitress, in this faithful heart?
Is this my meed? Must dragons' teeth alone
In Venus' lawns by lovers' hands be sown?

Nay, gentlest Cupid; 'twas my pride undid me;
Nay, guiltless dove; by mine own wound I fell.
To worship, not to wed, Celestials bid me:
I dreamt to mate in heaven, and wake in hell;
For ever doom'd, Ixion-like, to reel
On mine own passions' ever-burning wheel.

Devonshire, 1854.
From Westward Ho!


Scheme ABABCC DEDEFF XX
Poetic Form
Metre 110111010 11111111 1101011010 111101101 1111110101 0101110111 110010111011 1101111111 110111111 11110100101 1101010111 1111010101 01 1101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 565
Words 99
Sentences 9
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 2
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 31
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 145
Words per stanza (avg) 32
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
97

Charles Kingsley

Charles Kingsley was a priest of the Church of England, a university professor, historian and novelist. more…

All Charles Kingsley poems | Charles Kingsley Books

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