Analysis of Impatience
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919
How can I wait until you come to me?
The once fleet mornings linger by the way;
Their sunny smiles touched with malicious glee
At my unrest, they seem to pause, and play
Like truant children, while I sigh and say,
How can I wait?
How can I wait? Of old, the rapid hours
Refused to pause or loiter with me long;
But now they idly fill their hands with flowers,
And make no haste, but slowly stroll among
The summer blooms, not heeding my one song,
How can I wait?
How can I wait? The nights alone are kind;
They reach forth to a future day, and bring
Sweet dreams of you to people all my mind;
And time speeds by on light and airy wing.
I feast upon your face, I no more sing,
How can I wait?
How can I wait? The morning breaks the spell
A pitying night has flung upon my soul.
You are not near me, and I know full well
My heart has need of patience and control;
Before we meet, hours, days, and weeks must roll,
How can I wait?
How can I wait? Oh, Love, how can I wait
Until the sunlight f your eyes shall shine
Upon my world that seems so desolate?
Until your hand-clasp warms my blood like wine;
Until you come again, oh, Love of mine,
How can I wait?
Scheme | ababbC dedxeC fgfggC hihiiC cjxjjC |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (27%) Etheree (23%) |
Metre | 1111011111 0111010101 1101110101 1101111101 1101011101 1111 11111101010 0111110111 11110111110 0111110101 0101110111 1111 1111010111 1111010101 1111110111 0111110101 1101111111 1111 1111010101 01001110111 1111101111 1111110001 01111010111 1111 1111111111 010111111 0111111100 0111111111 0111011111 1111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,175 |
Words | 235 |
Sentences | 14 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 30 |
Letters per line (avg) | 29 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 176 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 47 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 19, 2023
- 1:10 min read
- 55 Views
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"Impatience" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/10651/impatience>.
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