Analysis of In the Old Age of the Soul

Ezra Pound 1885 (Hailey) – 1972 (Venice)



I do not choose to dream; there cometh on me
Some strange old lust for deeds.
As to the nerveless hand of some old warrior
The sword-hilt or the war-worn wonted helmet
Brings momentary life and long-fled cunning,
So to my soul grown old -
Grown old with many a jousting, many a foray,
Grown old with namy a hither-coming and hence-going -
Till now they send him dreams and no more deed;
So doth he flame again with might for action,
Forgetful of the council of elders,
Forgetful that who rules doth no more battle,
Forgetful that such might no more cleaves to him
So doth he flame again toward valiant doing.


Scheme ABCDEFGEHIJKLE
Poetic Form
Metre 11111111011 111111 11011111100 0111011110 1100101110 111111 1111001010010 1111010100110 1111110111 11110111110 0101010110 01011111110 01011111111 111101011010
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 606
Words 115
Sentences 3
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 479
Words per stanza (avg) 113
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 27, 2023

34 sec read
363

Ezra Pound

Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic of the early modernist movement. more…

All Ezra Pound poems | Ezra Pound Books

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    And miles to go before I _______
    A dream
    B rest
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