Analysis of The Common Lot
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919
It is a common fate – a woman’s lot –
To waste on one the riches of her soul,
Who takes the wealth she gives him, but cannot
Repay the interest, and much less the whole.
As I look up into your eyes, and wait
For some response to my fond gaze and touch,
It seems to me there is no sadder fate
Than to be doomed to loving overmuch.
Are you not kind? Ah, yes, so very kind –
So thoughtful of my comfort, and so true.
Yes, yes, dear heart; but I, not being blind,
Know that I am not loved, as I love you.
One tenderer word, a little longer kiss,
Will fill my soul with music and with song;
And if you seem abstracted, or I miss
The heart-tone from your voice, my world goes wrong.
And oftentimes you think me childish – weak –
When at some thoughtless word the tears will start;
You cannot understand how aught you speak
Has power to stir the deapths of my poor heart.
I cannot help it, dear – I wish I could,
Or feign indifference where I now adore;
For if I seemed to love you less, you would,
Manlike, I have no doubt, love me the more.
‘Tis a sad gift, that much applauded thing,
A constant heart; for fact doth daily prove
That constancy finds oft a cruel sting,
While fickle natures win the deeper love.
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IJIJ KLKL MXMX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (86%) |
Metre | 110101011 1111010101 1101111110 0101001101 1111011101 1101111101 1111111101 11111101 1111111101 1101110011 1111111101 1111111111 111010101 1111110011 011110111 0111111111 010111101 1111010111 110011111 11011011111 1101111111 11010011101 1111111111 111111101 1011110101 0101111101 1100110101 1101010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,227 |
Words | 243 |
Sentences | 10 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 28 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 131 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 34 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:12 min read
- 51 Views
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"The Common Lot" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/10828/the-common-lot>.
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