Analysis of The Oblation

Algernon Charles Swinburne 1837 (London) – 1909 (London)



Ask nothing more of me, sweet;
  All I can give you I give.
     Heart of my heart, were it more,
More would be laid at your feet:
  Love that should help you to live,
     Song that should spur you to soar.

All things were nothing to give
  Once to have sense of you more,
     Touch you and taste of you sweet,
Think you and breathe you and live,
  Swept of your wings as they soar,
     Trodden by chance of your feet.

I that have love and no more
  Give you but love of you, sweet:
     He that hath more, let him give;
He that hath wings, let him soar;
  Mine is the heart at your feet
     Here, that must love you to live.


Scheme ABCADC BCADCA CABCAD
Poetic Form
Metre 1101111 1111111 1111011 1111111 1111111 1111111 1101011 1111111 1101111 1101101 1111111 1011111 1111011 1111111 1111111 1111111 1101111 1111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 620
Words 125
Sentences 5
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 148
Words per stanza (avg) 41
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 28, 2023

37 sec read
115

Algernon Charles Swinburne

Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as Poems and Ballads, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. Swinburne wrote about many taboo topics, such as lesbianism, cannibalism, sado-masochism, and anti-theism. His poems have many common motifs, such as the ocean, time, and death. Several historical people are featured in his poems, such as Sappho ("Sapphics"), Anactoria ("Anactoria"), Jesus ("Hymn to Proserpine": Galilaee, La. "Galilean") and Catullus ("To Catullus"). more…

All Algernon Charles Swinburne poems | Algernon Charles Swinburne Books

1 fan

Discuss this Algernon Charles Swinburne poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Oblation" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/1420/the-oblation>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    5
    hours
    37
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    The long poem “The Waste Land” was written by which poet?
    A Emma Lazarus
    B T. S. Eliot
    C C. S Lewis
    D W. H. Auden