Analysis of Love's Language

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



How does Love speak?
In the faint flush upon the tell-tale cheek,
And in the pallor that succeeds it; by
The quivering lid of an averted eye –
The smile that proves the parent to a sigh –
 Thus doth Love speak.

How does Love speak?
By the uneven heart-throbs, and the freak
Of bounding pulses that stand still and ache,
While new emotions, like strange barques, make
Along vein-channels their disturbing course;
Still as the dawn, and with the dawn’s swift force –
 Thus doth Love speak.

How does Love speak?
In the avoidance of that which we seek –
The sudden silence and reserve when near –
The eye that glistens with an unshed tear –
The joy that seems the counterpart of fear,
As the alarmed heart leaps in the breast,
And knows, and names, the greets its god-like guest –
 Thus doth Love speak.

How doth Love speak?
In the proud spirit suddenly grown meek –
The haughty heart grown humble; in the tender
And unnamed light that floods the world with splendour,
In the resemblance which the fond eyes trace
In all things to one beloved face;
In the shy touch of hands that thrill and tremble;
In looks and lips that can no more dissemble –
 Thus doth Love speak.

How doth Love speak?
In the wild words that uttered seem so weak
They shrink ashamed to silence; in the fire
Glance strikes with glance, swift flashing high and higher,
Like lightnings that precede the mighty storm;
In the deep, soulful stillness; in the warm,
Impassioned tide that sweeps through throbbing veins,
Between the shores of keen delights and pains;
In the embrace where madness melts in bliss,
And in convulsive rapture of a kiss –
 Thus doth Love speak.


Scheme AabbbA AaccddA AaexeffA AagehhiiA AaggjjkkllA
Poetic Form
Metre 1111 0011010111 000110111 01001110101 0111010101 1111 1111 1001011001 1101011101 110101111 0111010101 1101010111 1111 1111 0001011111 0101000111 01111111 011101011 100111001 0101011111 1111 1111 0011010011 01011100010 0011110111 0001010111 01111011 00111111010 01011111010 1111 1111 0011110111 11011100010 11111101010 1101010101 0011010001 0101111101 0101110101 0001110101 0001010101 1111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,645
Words 298
Sentences 11
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
Lines Amount 41
Letters per line (avg) 31
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 256
Words per stanza (avg) 59
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 28, 2023

1:29 min read
120

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. more…

All Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems | Ella Wheeler Wilcox Books

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