Analysis of Riddles Of Merlin

Alfred Noyes 1880 (Wolverhampton) – 1958 (Isle of Wight)



As I was walking
Alone by the sea,
'_What is that whisper?_'
Said Merlin to me.
'Only,' I answered,
'The sigh of the wave'--
'_Oh, no_,' replied Merlin,
'_'Tis the grass on your grave_.'

As I lay dreaming
In churchyard ground
'_Listen_,' said Merlin,
'_What is that sound_?'
'The green grass is growing,'
I answered; but he
Chuckled, '_Oh, no!
'Tis the sound of the sea_.'

As I went homeward
At dusk by the shore,
'_What is that crimson?_'
Said Merlin once more.
'Only the sun,' I said.
'Sinking to rest'--
'_Sunset for East_,' he said,
'_Sunrise for West_.'


Scheme ABCBDEFE AXFDABXB DCFCGXGD
Poetic Form
Metre 11110 01101 1111 11011 10110 01101 110110 101111 11110 011 1110 1111 011110 11011 1011 101101 11110 11101 1111 11011 100111 1011 11111 111
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 543
Words 113
Sentences 11
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 17
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 133
Words per stanza (avg) 33
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

31 sec read
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Alfred Noyes

Alfred Noyes was an English poet best known for his ballads The Highwayman 1906 and The Barrel Organ more…

All Alfred Noyes poems | Alfred Noyes Books

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