Analysis of At the door

Eugene Field 1850 (St. Louis) – 1895 (Chicago)



I thought myself indeed secure,
 So fast the door, so firm the lock;
But, lo! he toddling comes to lure
 My parent ear with timorous knock.

My heart were stone could it withstand
 The sweetness of my baby's plea,--
That timorous, baby knocking and
 "Please let me in,--it's only me."

I threw aside the unfinished book,
 Regardless of its tempting charms,
And opening wide the door, I took
 My laughing darling in my arms.

Who knows but in Eternity,
 I, like a truant child, shall wait
The glories of a life to be,
 Beyond the Heavenly Father's gate?

And will that Heavenly Father heed
 The truant's supplicating cry,
As at the outer door I plead,
"'T is I, O Father! only I"?


Scheme ABAB XCXC DEDE CFCF GHGH
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 1110101 11011101 11110111 110111001 11011101 01011101 110010100 11101101 110100101 01011101 010010111 11010011 11100100 11010111 01010111 010100101 011100101 0111 11010111 111110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 664
Words 127
Sentences 8
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 102
Words per stanza (avg) 24
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

39 sec read
92

Eugene Field

Eugene Field, Sr. was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays. more…

All Eugene Field poems | Eugene Field Books

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