Analysis of A Christmas Carol
Algernon Charles Swinburne 1837 (London) – 1909 (London)
THREE DAMSELS in the queen’s chamber,
The queen’s mouth was most fair;
She spake a word of God’s mother
As the combs went in her hair.
Mary that is of might,
Bring us to thy Son’s sight.
They held the gold combs out from her,
A span’s length off her head;
She sang this song of God’s mother
And of her bearing-bed.
Mary most full of grace,
Bring us to thy Son’s face.
When she sat at Joseph’s hand,
She looked against her side;
And either way from the short silk band
Her girdle was all wried.
Mary that all good may,
Bring us to thy Son’s way.
Mary had three women for her bed,
The twain were maidens clean;
The first of them had white and red,
The third had riven green.
Mary that is so sweet,
Bring us to thy Son’s feet.
She had three women for her hair,
Two were gloved soft and shod;
The third had feet and fingers bare,
She was the likest God.
Mary that wieldeth land,
Bring us to thy Son’s hand.
She had three women for her ease,
The twain were good women:
The first two were the two Maries,
The third was Magdalen.
Mary that perfect is,
Bring us to thy Son’s kiss.
Joseph had three workmen in his stall,
To serve him well upon;
The first of them were Peter and Paul,
The third of them was John.
Mary, God’s handmaiden,
Bring us to thy Son’s ken.
“If your child be none other man’s,
But if it be very mine,
The bedstead shall be gold two spans,
The bedfoot silver fine.”
Mary that made God mirth,
Bring us to thy Son’s birth.
“If the child be some other man’s,
And if it be none of mine,
The manger shall be straw two spans,
Betwixen kine and kine.”
Mary that made sin cease,
Bring us to thy Son’s peace.
Christ was born upon this wise,
It fell on such a night,
Neither with sounds of psalteries,
Nor with fire for light.
Mary that is God’s spouse,
Bring us to thy Son’s house.
The star came out upon the east
With a great sound and sweet:
Kings gave gold to make him feast
And myrrh for him to eat.
Mary, of thy sweet mood,
Bring us to thy Son’s good.
He had two handmaids at his head,
One handmaid at his feet;
The twain of them were fair and red,
The third one was right sweet.
Mary that is most wise,
Bring us to thy Son’s eyes. Amen.
Scheme | ABABCC ADADEE FXFCGG DHDHII BJBJFF XKEKXX LMLMHN OPOPQQ OPOHRR SCECTT UIUIXX DIDISN |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1100110 011111 11011110 1011001 101111 111111 11011110 011101 11111110 010101 101111 111111 1111101 110101 010110111 010111 101111 111111 101110101 010101 01111101 011101 101111 111111 11110101 101101 01110101 11011 10111 111111 11110101 010110 0110011 011100 101011 111111 101110011 111101 011101001 011111 1011 111111 11111101 1111101 0111111 01101 101111 111111 10111101 0111111 01011111 1101 101111 111111 1110111 111101 101111 111011 101111 111111 01110101 101101 1111111 011111 101111 111111 1111111 11111 01110101 011111 101111 11111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 2,134 |
Words | 430 |
Sentences | 26 |
Stanzas | 12 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 72 |
Letters per line (avg) | 23 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 135 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 36 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 28, 2023
- 2:09 min read
- 145 Views
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"A Christmas Carol" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/1234/a-christmas-carol>.
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