Analysis of The Slave's Complaint
George Moses Horton 1779 (North Carolina) – 1883
Am I sadly cast aside,
On misfortune's rugged tide?
Will the world my pains deride
Forever?
Must I dwell in Slavery's night,
And all pleasure take its flight,
Far beyond my feeble sight,
Forever?
Worst of all, must Hope grow dim,
And withhold her cheering beam?
Rather let me sleep and dream
Forever!
Something still my heart surveys,
Groping through this dreary maze;
Is it Hope? -- then burn and blaze
Forever!
Leave me not a wretch confined,
Altogether lame and blind --
Unto gross despair consigned,
Forever!
Heaven! in whom can I confide?
Canst thou not for all provide?
Condescend to be my guide
Forever:
And when this transient life shall end,
Oh, may some kind eternal friend
Bid me from servitude ascend,
Forever!
Scheme | aaaBcccBxddB eeeB fffB aaaB gggB |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1110101 11101 1011101 010 111011 0110111 1011101 010 1111111 0010101 1011101 010 1011101 1011101 1111101 010 1110101 010101 1010101 010 10011101 1111101 011111 010 01110111 11110101 1111001 010 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 807 |
Words | 127 |
Sentences | 13 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 12, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 28 |
Letters per line (avg) | 20 |
Words per line (avg) | 4 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 113 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 25 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 38 sec read
- 149 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The Slave's Complaint" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/15763/the-slave%27s-complaint>.
Discuss this George Moses Horton poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In