Analysis of Out in the Cold



Out in the cold mid the dreary night,
Under the eaves of homes so bright:
Snowflakes falling o'er mother's grave
Will no one rescue, no one save?

A child left out in the dark and cold,
A lamb not sheltered in any fold,
Hearing the wolves of hunger bark,
Out in the cold! and out in the dark

Missing to-night the charming bliss,
That lies in the mother's good-night kiss;
And hearing no loving father's prayer,
For blessings his children all may share.

Creeping away to some wretched den,
To sleep mid the curses of drunken men
And women, not as God has made,
Wrecked and ruined, wronged and betrayed.

Church of the Lord reach out thy arm,
And shield the hapless one from harm;
Where the waves of sin are dashing wild
Rescue and save the drifting child.

Wash from her life guilt's turbid foam,
In the fair haven of a home;
Tenderly lead the motherless girl
Up to the gates of purest pearl.

The wandering feet which else had strayed,
From thorny paths may yet be stayed;
And a crimson track through the cold dark night
May exchange to a line of loving light.


Scheme AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH IIJJ KKLL HHAA
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 100110101 10011111 11010101 11110111 011100101 011100101 10011101 100101001 10110101 110010111 010110101 110110111 100111101 1110101101 01011111 10101001 11011111 01010111 101111101 10010101 1101111 00110101 100101001 11011101 010011111 11011111 0010110111 1011011101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,037
Words 198
Sentences 8
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 28
Letters per line (avg) 30
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 118
Words per stanza (avg) 28
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:00 min read
122

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper born to free parents in Baltimore Maryland was an African American abolitionist and poet more…

All Frances Ellen Watkins Harper poems | Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Books

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