The Goldsmith's Apprentice
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 (Frankfurt) – 1832 (Weimar)
My neighbour, none can e'er deny,
Is a most beauteous maid;
Her shop is ever in mine eye,
When working at my trade.
To ring and chain I hammer then
The wire of gold assay'd,
And think the while: "For Kate, oh when
Will such a ring be made?"
And when she takes her shutters down,
Her shop at once invade,
To buy and haggle, all the town,
For all that's there displayd.
I file, and maybe overfile
The wire of gold assay'd;
My master grumbles all the while,--
Her shop the mischief made.
To ply her wheel she straight begins,
When not engaged in trade;
I know full well for what she spins,--
'Tis hope guides that dear maid.
Her leg, while her small foot treads on,
Is in my mind portray'd;
Her garter I recall anon,--
I gave it that dear maid.
Then to her lips the finest thread
Is by her hand convey'd.
Were I there only in its stead,
How I would kiss the maid!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 54 sec read
- 56 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | a ba b c Bc b d bd b e Be b f bf b x ba b g bg b |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 841 |
Words | 175 |
Stanzas | 21 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1 |
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"The Goldsmith's Apprentice" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/21832/the-goldsmith's-apprentice>.
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