Analysis of Sonnet To The Curlew
Helen Maria Williams 1761 (London) – 1827
SOOTH'D by the murmurs on the sea-beat shore,
His dun-grey plumage floating to the gale,
The Curlew blends his melancholy wail
With those hoarse sounds the rushing waters pour.
Like thee, congenial bird! my steps explore
The bleak lone sea-beach, or the rocky dale,--
And shun the orange bower, the myrtle vale,
Whose gay luxuriance suits my soul no more.
I love the ocean's broad expanse, when drest
In limpid clearness, or when tempests blow:
When the smooth currents on its placid breast
Flow calm, as my past moments us'd to flow;
Or when its troubled waves refuse to rest,
And seem the symbol of my present woe.
Scheme | ABBAABBACDCDCD |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101010111 1111010101 01111001 1111010101 1101011101 0111110101 01010100101 11111111 1101010111 0111111 1011011101 1111110111 1111010111 0101011101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 611 |
Words | 111 |
Sentences | 5 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
Lines Amount | 14 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 484 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 108 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 34 sec read
- 54 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Sonnet To The Curlew" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/17138/sonnet-to-the-curlew>.
Discuss this Helen Maria Williams 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