Analysis of On Hearing Of The Intention Of A Gentleman To Purchase The Poet's Freedom
George Moses Horton 1779 (North Carolina) – 1883
When on life's ocean first I spread my sail,
I then implored a mild auspicious gale;
And from the slippery strand I took my flight,
And sought the peaceful haven of delight.
Tyrannic storms arose upon my soul,
And dreadful did their mad'ning thunders roll;
The pensive muse was shaken from her sphere,
And hope, it vanish'd in the clouds of fear.
At length a golden sun broke thro' the gloom,
And from his smiles arose a sweet perfume--
A calm ensued, and birds began to sing,
And lo! the sacred muse resumed her wing.
With frantic joy she chaunted as she flew,
And kiss'd the clement hand that bore her thro'
Her envious foes did from her sight retreat,
Or prostrate fall beneath her burning feet.
'Twas like a proselyte, allied to Heaven--
Or rising spirits' boast of sins forgiven,
Whose shout dissolves the adamant away
Whose melting voice the stubborn rocks obey.
'Twas like the salutation of the dove,
Borne on the zephyr thro' some lonesome grove,
When Spring returns, and Winter's chill is past,
And vegetation smiles above the blast.
'Twas like the evening of a nuptial pair,
When love pervades the hour of sad despair--
'Twas like fair Helen's sweet return to Troy,
When every Grecian bosom swell'd with joy.
The silent harp which on the osiers hung,
Was then attuned, and manumission sung:
Away by hope the clouds of fear were driven,
And music breathed my gratitude to heaven.
Hard was the race to reach the distant goal,
The needle oft was shaken from the pole;
In such distress, who could forbear to weep?
Toss'd by the headlong billows of the deep!
The tantalizing beams which shone so plain,
Which turn'd my former pleasures into pain--
Which falsely promised all the joys of fame,
Gave way, and to a more substantial flame.
Some philanthropic souls as from afar,
With pity strove to break the slavish bar;
To whom my floods of gratitude shall roll,
And yield with pleasure to their soft control.
And sure of Providence this work begun--
He shod my feet this rugged race to run;
And in despite of all the swelling tide,
Along the dismal path will prove my guide.
Thus on the dusky verge of deep despair,
Eternal Providence was with me there;
When pleasure seemed to fade on life's gay dawn,
And the last beam of hope was almost gone.
Scheme | AABB CCDD EEFF XDGG HHII XXJJ KKLL MMHH CCNN OOPP QQCC HHRR KKSS |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (85%) |
Metre | 1111011111 1101010101 01010011111 0101010101 11010111 0101111101 0101110101 0111000111 1101011101 0111010101 0101010111 0101010101 110111111 0101011101 01001110101 1101010101 110101110 11010111010 1101010001 1101010101 1101101 1101011101 1101010111 001010101 1101010101 11010101101 1111010111 11001010111 010111011 1101011 01110111010 0101110110 1101110101 0101110101 010111111 110110101 010011111 1111010011 1101010111 1101010101 101011101 1101110101 111111011 0111011101 0111001101 1111110111 0001110101 0101011111 110111101 0101001111 1101111111 001111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 2,206 |
Words | 403 |
Sentences | 16 |
Stanzas | 13 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 52 |
Letters per line (avg) | 34 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 136 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 31 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 2:04 min read
- 111 Views
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"On Hearing Of The Intention Of A Gentleman To Purchase The Poet's Freedom" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/15728/on-hearing-of-the-intention-of-a-gentleman-to-purchase-the-poet%27s-freedom>.
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