Analysis of Phoebus with Admetus
George Meredith 1828 (Portsmouth, Hampshire) – 1909 (Box Hill, Surrey)
WHEN by Zeus relenting the mandate was revoked,
Sentencing to exile the bright Sun-God,
Mindful were the ploughmen of who the steer had yoked,
Who: and what a track show'd the upturn'd sod!
Mindful were the shepherds, as now the noon severe
Bent a burning eyebrow to brown evetide,
How the rustic flute drew the silver to the sphere,
Sister of his own, till her rays fell wide.
God! of whom music
And song and blood are pure,
The day is never darken'd
That had thee here obscure.
Chirping none, the scarlet cicalas crouch'd in ranks:
Slack the thistle-head piled its down-silk gray:
Scarce the stony lizard suck'd hollows in his flanks:
Thick on spots of umbrage our drowsed flocks lay.
Sudden bow'd the chestnuts beneath a wind unheard,
Lengthen'd ran the grasses, the sky grew slate:
Then amid a swift flight of wing'd seed white as curd,
Clear of limb a Youth smote the master's gate.
God! of whom music
And song and blood are pure,
The day is never darken'd
That had thee here obscure.
Water, first of singers, o'er rocky mount and mead,
First of earthly singers, the sun-loved rill,
Sang of him, and flooded the ripples on the reed,
Seeking whom to waken and what ear fill.
Water, sweetest soother to kiss a wound and cool,
Sweetest and divinest, the sky-born brook,
Chuckled, with a whimper, and made a mirror-pool
Round the guest we welcomed, the strange hand shook.
God! of whom music
And song and blood are pure,
The day is never darken'd
That had thee here obscure.
Many swarms of wild bees descended on our fields:
Stately stood the wheatstalk with head bent high:
Big of heart we labour'd at storing mighty yields,
Wool and corn, and clusters to make men cry!
Hand-like rush'd the vintage; we strung the bellied skins
Plump, and at the sealing the Youth's voice rose:
Maidens clung in circle, on little fists their chins;
Gentle beasties through push'd a cold long nose.
God! of whom music
And song and blood are pure,
The day is never darken'd
That had thee here obscure.
Foot to fire in snowtime we trimm'd the slender shaft:
Often down the pit spied the lean wolf's teeth
Grin against his will, trapp'd by masterstrokes of craft;
Helpless in his froth-wrath as green logs seethe!
Safe the tender lambs tugg'd the teats, and winter sped
Whirl'd before the crocus, the year's new gold.
Hung the hooky beak up aloft, the arrowhead
Redden'd through his feathers for our dear fold.
God! of whom music
And song and blood are pure,
The day is never darken'd
That had thee here obscure.
Tales we drank of giants at war with gods above:
Rocks were they to look on, and earth climb'd air!
Tales of search for simples, and those who sought of love
Ease because the creature was all too fair.
Pleasant ran our thinking that while our work was good.
Sure as fruits for sweat would the praise come fast.
He that wrestled stoutest and tamed the billow-brood
Danced in rings with girls, like a sail-flapp'd mast.
God! of whom music
And song and blood are pure,
The day is never darken'd
That had thee here obscure.
Lo, the herb of healing, when once the herb is known,
Shines in shady woods bright as new-sprung flame.
Ere the string was tighten'd we heard the mellow tone,
After he had taught how the sweet sounds came.
Stretch'd about his feet, labour done, 'twas as you see
Red pomegranates tumble and burst hard rind.
So began contention to give delight and be
Excellent in things aim'd to make life kind.
God! of whom music
And song and blood are pure,
The day is never darken'd
Scheme ababcacxDEFEghghijijDEFE klklmnmnDEFE opopxqgqDEFE rxrxststDEFE uvuvxwxwDEFE xyxyz1 z1 dec Poetic Form Metre 11101001101 100110111 10001110111 101011011 100010110101 10101111 101011010101 1011110111 11110 010111 0111010 111101 1010101101 1010111111 101010110011 11111010111 101010010101 1010100111 101011111111 1110110101 11110 010111 0111010 111101 1011101010101 1110100111 111010010101 1011100111 10101110101 10010111 101010010101 1011100111 11110 010111 0111010 111101 1011110101101 101011111 11111110101 1010101111 111010110101 1010100111 101010110111 101110111 11110 010111 0111010 111101 111001110101 1010110111 1011111111 1001111111 101011010101 1010100111 10101101010 1111011011 11110 010111 0111010 111101 111110111101 1011110111 11111011111 1010101111 10110101110111 1111110111 11101010101 1011110111 11110 010111 0111010 111101 101110110111 1010111111 101110110101 1011110111 10111111111 11100111 101010110101 1000111111 11110 010111 01110101 Closest metre Iambic pentameter Characters 3,653 Words 627 Sentences 34 Stanzas 6 Stanza Lengths 24, 12, 12, 12, 12, 11 Lines Amount 83 Letters per line (avg) 33 Words per line (avg) 8 Letters per stanza (avg) 454 Words per stanza (avg) 105 Font size:Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 25, 2023
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"Phoebus with Admetus" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/15573/phoebus-with-admetus>.
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