Analysis of The Spell

Edith Nesbit 1858 (Kennington, Surrey ) – 1924 (New Romney, Kent)



OUR boat has drifted with the stream
That stirs the river's full sweet bosom
And now she stays where gold flags gleam
By meadow-sweet's pale foam of blossom.

Sedge-warblers sing the sun the song
The nightingale sings to the shadows;
Forget-me-nots grow all along
The fringes of the happy meadows.

See the wet lilies' golden beads!
The river-nymphs for necklace string them,
And in the sighing of the reeds
You hear the song their lovers sing them.

Gold sun, blue air, green shimmering leaves,
The weir's old song--the wood's old story--
Such spells the enchanting Summer weaves
She holds me in a web of glory.

And you--with head against my arm
And subtle wiles that seek to hold me--
Not even you can add a charm
To the sweet sorceries that enfold me.

Yet lean there still! The hour is ours;
If we should move the charm might shiver
And joyless sun and scentless flowers
Might mock a disenchanted river.


Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IHIH JKJK
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 101110101 110101110 01111111 11111110 11010101 01001101 01111101 01010101 10110101 010111011 00010101 110111011 111111001 011101110 110010101 111001110 01110111 010111111 11011101 10111011 1111010110 111101110 0110110 110001010
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 911
Words 162
Sentences 9
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 30
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 119
Words per stanza (avg) 27
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

49 sec read
87

Edith Nesbit

Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland) was an English author and poet; she published her books for children under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 books of children's literature. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later affiliated to the Labour Party. more…

All Edith Nesbit poems | Edith Nesbit Books

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