Analysis of Sapientia Lunae
Ernest Christopher Dowson 1867 – 1900
The wisdom of the world said unto me:
'_Go forth and run, the race is to the brave;
Perchance some honour tarrieth for thee!_'
'As tarrieth,' I said, 'for sure, the grave.'
For I had pondered on a rune of roses,
Which to her votaries the moon discloses.
The wisdom of the world said: '_There are bays:
Go forth and run, for victory is good,
After the stress of the laborious days._'
'Yet,' said I, 'shall I be the worms' sweet food,'
As I went musing on a rune of roses,
Which in her hour, the pale, soft moon discloses.
Then said my voices: '_Wherefore strive or run,
On dusty highways ever, a vain race?
The long night cometh, starless, void of sun,
What light shall serve thee like her golden face?_'
For I had pondered on a rune of roses,
And knew some secrets which the moon discloses.
'Yea,' said I, 'for her eyes are pure and sweet
As lilies, and the fragrance of her hair
Is many laurels; and it is not meet
To run for shadows when the prize is here';
And I went reading in that rune of roses
Which to her votaries the moon discloses.
Scheme | xaxaBB xxbxbb cxcbBb dxdxbB |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 0101011101 1101011101 0111111 11111101 11110101110 110101010 0101011111 1101110011 10011001001 1111110111 11110101110 100100111010 111101111 110110011 011101111 1111110101 11110101110 01110101010 1111011101 1100010101 1101001111 111110111 01110011110 110101010 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,027 |
Words | 210 |
Sentences | 10 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 197 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 50 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:01 min read
- 135 Views
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"Sapientia Lunae" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/12808/sapientia-lunae>.
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