Analysis of An Art Critic
Ambrose Bierce 1842 (Meigs County) – 1914 (Chihuahua)
Ira P. Rankin, you've a nasal name
I'll sound it through 'the speaking-trump of fame,'
And wondering nations, hearing from afar
The brazen twang of its resounding jar,
Shall say: 'These bards are an uncommon class
They blow their noses with a tube of brass!'
Rankin! ye gods! if Influenza pick
Our names at christening, and such names stick,
Let's all be born when summer suns withstand
Her prevalence and chase her from the land,
And healing breezes generously help
To shield from death each ailing human whelp!
'What's in a name?' There's much at least in yours
That the pained ear unwillingly endures,
And much to make the suffering soul, I fear,
Envy the lesser anguish of the ear.
So you object to Cytherea! Do,
The picture was not painted, sir, for you!
Your_ mind to gratify and taste address,
The masking dove had been a dove the less.
Provincial censor! all untaught in art,
With mind indecent and indecent heart,
Do you not know-nay, why should I explain?
Instruction, argument alike were vain
I'll show you reasons when you show me brain.
Scheme | AABBCCDDEEFFGGXX HHIIJJKKK |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 1011010101 1111010111 01001010101 0101110101 1111110101 1111010111 101110101 10111000111 1111110101 0100010101 0101010001 1111110101 1001111101 1011010001 01110100111 1001010101 111010101 0101110111 11110011 0101110101 010101101 1101000101 1111111101 0101000101 1111011111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,033 |
Words | 189 |
Sentences | 14 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 16, 9 |
Lines Amount | 25 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 410 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 92 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 57 sec read
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"An Art Critic" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/1689/an-art-critic>.
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