Analysis of Marian

George Meredith 1828 (Portsmouth, Hampshire) – 1909 (Box Hill, Surrey)



She can be as wise as we,
And wiser when she wishes;
She can knit with cunning wit,
And dress the homely dishes.
She can flourish staff or pen,
And deal a wound that lingers;
She can talk the talk of men,
And touch with thrilling fingers.

Match her ye across the sea,
Natures fond and fiery;
Ye who zest the turtle's nest
With the eagle's eyrie.
Soft and loving is her soul,
Swift and lofty soaring;
Mixing with its dove-like dole
Passionate adoring.

Such a she who'll match with me?
In flying or pursuing,
Subtle wiles are in her smiles
To set the world a-wooing.
She is steadfast as a star,
And yet the maddest maiden:
She can wage a gallant war,
And give the peace of Eden.


Scheme AXXXBCBC AAXADEDE AEXEXFXF
Poetic Form
Metre 1111111 0101110 1111101 0101010 1110111 0101110 1110111 0111010 1010101 1010100 1110101 101010 1010101 101010 1011111 100010 1011111 0101010 1011001 1101010 111101 010110 1110101 0101110
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 693
Words 134
Sentences 8
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 174
Words per stanza (avg) 43
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

41 sec read
86

George Meredith

George Meredith was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven times. more…

All George Meredith poems | George Meredith Books

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