Analysis of Departure

Coventry Patmore 1823 (Woodford, London) – 1896 (Lymington)



It was not like your great and gracious ways!
Do you, that have naught other to lament,
Never, my Love, repent
Of how, that July afternoon,
You went,
With sudden, unintelligible phrase,
And frighten'd eye,
Upon your journey of so many days
Without a single kiss, or a good-bye?
I knew, indeed, that you were parting soon;
And so we sate, within the low sun's rays,
You whispering to me, for your voice was weak,
Your harrowing praise.
Well, it was well
To hear you such things speak,
And I could tell
What made your eyes a growing gloom of love,
As a warm South-wind sombres a March grove.
And it was like your great and gracious ways
To turn your talk on daily things, my Dear,
Lifting the luminous, pathetic lash
To let the laughter flash,
Whilst I drew near,
Because you spoke so low that I could scarcely hear.
But all at once to leave me at the last,
More at the wonder than the loss aghast,
With huddled, unintelligible phrase,
And frighten'd eye,
And go your journey of all days
With not one kiss, or a good-bye,
And the only loveless look the look with which you pass'd:
'Twas all unlike your great and gracious ways.


Scheme abbcbaDadcaeafefghaijjikllaDadla
Poetic Form
Metre 1111110101 1111110101 101101 111101 11 110010001 0101 0111011101 0101011011 1101110101 0111010111 11001111111 11001 1111 111111 0111 1111010111 101111011 0111110101 1111110111 1001000101 110101 1111 011111111101 1111111101 1101010101 110010001 0101 01110111 11111011 0010101011111 1101110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,131
Words 211
Sentences 7
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 32
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 869
Words per stanza (avg) 209
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 03, 2023

1:04 min read
200

Coventry Patmore

Coventry Kersey Dighton Patmore was an English poet and critic best known for The Angel in the House, his narrative poem about an ideal happy marriage. more…

All Coventry Patmore poems | Coventry Patmore Books

0 fans

Discuss this Coventry Patmore poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Departure" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 16 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/7338/departure>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    15
    days
    0
    hours
    59
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Poet George McDonald wrote a two-word poem that reads _____ _____?
    A Let's Go.
    B Come Home.
    C Good Bye.
    D See You!