Analysis of Ernestness
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919
The hurry of the times affects us so
In this swift rushing hour, we crowd and press
And thrust each other backward as we go,
And do not pause to lay sufficient stress
Upon that good, strong, true word, Earnestness.
In our impetuous haste, could we but know
Its full, deep meaning, its vast import, oh,
Then might we grasp the secret of success!
In that receding age when men were great,
The bone and sinew of their purpose lay
In this one word. God likes an earnest soul—
Too earnest to be eager. Soon or late
It leaves the spent horde breathless by the way,
And stands serene, triumphant at the goal.
Scheme | A B A B X A A B C D E C D E |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 0101010111 01110101101 0111010111 0111110101 0111111100 01001011111 1111011011 1111010101 0101011101 010111101 0111111101 1101110111 1101110101 0101010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 598 |
Words | 115 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 14 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 |
Lines Amount | 14 |
Letters per line (avg) | 34 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 34 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 8 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 34 sec read
- 95 Views
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"Ernestness" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/10598/ernestness>.
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