Analysis of To John Forbes, Esq.
Helen Maria Williams 1761 (London) – 1827
ON HIS BRINGING ME FLOWERS FROM VAUCLUSE, AND
WHICH HE HAD PRESERVED BY MEANS OF
AN INGENIOUS PROCESS IN THEIR
ORIGINAL BEAUTY.
SWEET spoils of consecrated bowers,
How dear to me these chosen flowers!
I love the simplest bud that blows,
I love the meanest weed that grows:
Symbols of nature--every form
That speaks of her this heart can warm;
But ye, delicious flowers, assume
In fancy's eye a brighter bloom;
A dearer pleasure ye diffuse,
Cull'd by the fountain of Vaucluse!
For ye were nurtur'd on the sod
Where PETRARCH mourn'd, and LAURA trod;
Ye grew on that inspiring ground
Where love has shed enchantment round;
Where still the tear of passion flows,
Fond tribute to a poet's woes!
Yet, cherish'd flowers, with love and fame
This wreath entwines a milder name;
Friendship, who better knows than they
The spells that smooth our length'ning way,--
Friendship the blooming off'ring brought;
When FORBES the classic fountain sought,
For me he cull'd the fresh-blown flowers,
And fix'd their hues with potent powers;
Their pliant forms with skilful care
He seized, and stamp'd duration there;
His gift shall ever glad the eye,--
Nor, like my verse is born to die.
Scheme | XXAX BBCCDDEEXB FFGGCCHHIIJJBBAAKK |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1110110110 11101111 1010101 010010 11110010 111111010 11010111 11010111 101101001 11101111 110101001 0110101 01010101 1101011 11010101 1110101 11110101 11110101 11011101 11010101 110101101 1110101 10110111 011110111 10010111 11010101 111101110 011111010 1101111 11011101 11110101 11111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,143 |
Words | 202 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 10, 18 |
Lines Amount | 32 |
Letters per line (avg) | 29 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 307 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 66 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:03 min read
- 63 Views
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"To John Forbes, Esq." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/17154/to-john-forbes%2C-esq.>.
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