Analysis of Noblesse Oblige



I hold it the duty of one who is gifted
 And specially dowered I all men’s sight,
To know no rest till his life is lifted
 Fully up to his great gifts’ height.

He must mould the man into rare completeness,
 For gems are only in gold refined.
He must fashion his thoughts into perfect sweetness,
 And cast out folly and pride from his mind.

For he who drinks from a god’s gold fountain
 Of art of music or rhythmic song
Must sift from his soul the chaff of malice,
 And weed from his heart the roots of wrong.

Great gifts should be worn, like a crown befitting,
 And not like gems in a beggar’s hands!
And the toil must be constant and unremitting
 Which lifts up the king to the crown’s demands.


Scheme ABAB CDCD XECE FGFG
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 111010111110 010011111 1111111110 10111111 11101011010 111100101 111011010110 0111001111 1111101110 111101101 1111101110 011110111 11111101010 011100101 00111100010 1110110101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 704
Words 135
Sentences 7
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 135
Words per stanza (avg) 33
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

40 sec read
69

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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