Analysis of Greed
Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli 1791 (Rome) – 1863
When I watch folks of this world and see how widespread
It is for those, that pile up treasure and put on fat, to chafe
At the bit and grasp for more, the way they hunger for a safe
As broad as the ocean, and so deep, that it'd never touch the seabed,
I say to myself: ah, you herd of blind fools, bank away, bank,
Ruining your days with anxieties, lose night after night of sleep,
Do shady deals and diddle: then what? Old Granpa Time'll creep
In with his scythe, and slice away at your bundle of plans, hank after hank.
Death's hidden away, and hunkers inside the clock-tower;
And no one can say: Tomorrow, once more I'll
Still hear midday ring out like today, at this very same hour.
What's the poor pilgrim do when he takes on a rough and tough
Journey, knowing he'll travel but for a little while?
He packs a crust or two of bread, and that's enough.
Scheme | ABBA CDDC EFE GFG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111111101111 111111110011111 101011101110101 11101001111010101 11111111111011 10011101001110111 110101111111 011101011110111101 1100101010110 0111101111 111111011110110 10110111110101 1010110110101 110111110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 851 |
Words | 167 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 3, 3 |
Lines Amount | 14 |
Letters per line (avg) | 47 |
Words per line (avg) | 12 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 164 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 41 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 52 sec read
- 166 Views
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"Greed" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/16114/greed>.
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