Analysis of Pain In Pleasure

Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806 (Kelloe) – 1861 (Florence)



A THOUGHT ay like a flower upon mine heart,
And drew around it other thoughts like bees
For multitude and thirst of sweetnesses;
Whereat rejoicing, I desired the art
Of the Greek whistler, who to wharf and mart
Could lure those insect swarms from orange-trees
That I might hive with me such thoughts and please
My soul so, always. foolish counterpart
Of a weak man's vain wishes ! While I spoke,
The thought I called a flower grew nettle-rough
The thoughts, called bees, stung me to festering:
Oh, entertain (cried Reason as she woke)
Your best and gladdest thoughts but long enough,
And they will all prove sad enough to sting !


Scheme ABBAABBACDECDE
Poetic Form
Metre 01110100111 0101110111 1100111 1010101001 1011011101 111111101 1111111101 11111010 1011110111 01110101101 0111111100 101110111 110111101 0111110111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 624
Words 112
Sentences 4
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 36
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 499
Words per stanza (avg) 112
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 01, 2023

33 sec read
449

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent English poets of the Victorian era. more…

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