Analysis of I meant to have but modest needs
Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)
I meant to have but modest needs—
Such as Content—and Heaven—
Within my income—these could lie
And Life and I—keep even—
But since the last—included both—
It would suffice my Prayer
But just for One—to stipulate—
And Grace would grant the Pair—
And so—upon this wise—I prayed—
Great Spirit—Give to me
A Heaven not so large as Yours,
But large enough—for me—
A Smile suffused Jehovah's face—
The Cherubim—withdrew—
Grave Saints stole out to look at me—
And showed their dimples—too—
I left the Place, with all my might—
I threw my Prayer away—
The Quiet Ages picked it up—
And Judgment—twinkled—too—
Tat one so honest—be extant—
It take the Tale for true—
That "Whatsoever Ye shall ask—
Itself be given You"—
But I, grown shrewder—scan the Skies
With a suspicious Air—
As Children—swindled for the first
All Swindlers—be—infer—
Scheme | XXXX XAXA XBXB XCBC XXXCXCXC XAXX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11111101 1110010 0111111 0101110 11010101 110111 1111110 011101 01011111 110111 01011111 110111 01010101 0101 11111111 011101 11011111 111101 01010111 010101 11110110 110111 1010111 011101 1111101 100101 11010101 110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 887 |
Words | 141 |
Sentences | 1 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 8, 4 |
Lines Amount | 28 |
Letters per line (avg) | 23 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 107 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 23 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 42 sec read
- 68 Views
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"I meant to have but modest needs" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/11784/i-meant-to-have-but-modest-needs>.
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