Analysis of La peur

Emile Verhaeren 1855 (Sint-Amands) – 1916 (Rouen)



Par les plaines de ma crainte, tournée au Nord,
Voici le vieux berger des Novembres qui corne,
Debout, comme un malheur, au seuil du bercail morne,
Qui corne au loin l'appel des troupeaux de la mort.

L'étable est là, lourde et vieille comme un remords,
Au fond de mes pays de tristesse sans borne,
Qu'un ruisselet, bordé de menthe et de viorne
Lassé de ses flots lourds, flétrit, d'un cours retors.

Brebis noires, à croix rouges sur les épaules,
Et béliers couleur feu rentrent, à coups de gaule,
Comme ses lents péchés, en mon âme d'effroi ;

Le vieux berger des Novembres corne tempête.
Dites, quel vol d'éclairs vient d'effleurer ma tête
Pour que, ce soir, ma vie ait eu si peur de moi ?


Scheme XAAX BAAB BXX CCX
Poetic Form
Metre 1111111111 101101111 111111111 111111011111 110011111111 111111111 111111111 11111111111 1111111 111111111 1111111111 011011111 1111111111 111111111111
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 710
Words 125
Sentences 5
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 3, 3
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 37
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 129
Words per stanza (avg) 31
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 21, 2023

39 sec read
101

Emile Verhaeren

Emile Verhaeren was a Belgian poet who wrote in the French language, and one of the chief founders of the school of Symbolism. more…

All Emile Verhaeren poems | Emile Verhaeren Books

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