Analysis of Time Enough

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



I know it is early morning,
 And hope is calling aloud,
And your heart is afire with Youth’s desire
 To hurry along with the crowd.
But linger a bit by the roadside,
 And lend a hand by the way,
‘Tis a curious fact that a generous act
 Brings leisure and luck to a day.

I know it is only the noontime –
 There is chance enough to be kind;
But the hours run fast when the noon has passed,
 And the shadows are close behind.
So think while the light is shining,
 And act ere the set of the sun,
For the sorriest woe that a soul can know
 Is to think what it might have done.

I know it is almost evening,
 But the twilight hour is long.
If you listen and heed each cry of need
 You can right full many a wrong.
For when we have finished the journey
 We will all look back and say:
‘On life’s long mile there was nothing worth while
 But the good we did by the way.’


Scheme ABXBXCXC XDXDAEXE AFXFXCXC
Poetic Form
Metre 11111010 0111001 01110111010 11001101 11001101 0101101 101001101001 11001101 11111001 11101111 10101110111 0011101 11101110 01101101 101110111 11111111 1111110 1011011 1110011111 11111001 111110010 1111101 1111111011 10111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 869
Words 179
Sentences 8
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 217
Words per stanza (avg) 59
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

53 sec read
36

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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

All Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems | Ella Wheeler Wilcox Books

2 fans

Discuss this Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Time Enough" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/10951/time-enough>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    1
    day
    20
    hours
    31
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Published in 1954, "Fighting Terms" was the first collection of poems by which poet?
    A Ted Hughes
    B Sylvia Plath
    C Thom Gunn
    D Philip Larkin