Analysis of Let’s Be Fools To-Night
Henry Lawson 1867 (Grenfell) – 1922 (Sydney)
We, three men of commerce,
Striving wealth to raise,
See but little promise
In the coming days;
Though our hearts are brittle,
Hardened near to stone,
We can think a little
Of the seasons flown.
Lily days and rose days:
Youthful days so bright;
We were fools in those days,
Let’s be fools to-night.
We, three men of commerce,
Men of business we,
Gave but little promise
Of what we would be
When we wandered urchins—
Foes of law and rule—
Fearing only birchings
And the village school.
Lily days and rose days,
Boyhood’s days so bright;
We were fools in those days,
Let’s be fools to-night.
We, three men of commerce,
Men of business we,
Gave but little promise
Of ability
When we lived in riot;
Never drew the line,
Hating peace and quiet,
Loving maids and wine.
Days when money goes—days
When men’s hearts are right;
We were fools in those days,
Let’s be fools to-night.
We must wear to-morrow
All our worldly marks,
Calm looks for our sorrow,
Stern looks for our clerks,
Who, from trouble shrinking,
Tasting earthly joys,
Hate us, little thinking
Ever we were boys.
Days when kindness flows—days
When men’s hearts are white;
We’ve been wise since those days,
Let’s be fools to-night.
Scheme | Abcbdede BfBF AGCgxhah BfBF AGCgijij bfBF kxkxlmlm bfbF |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111110 10111 111010 00101 1101110 10111 111010 10101 101011 10111 101011 11111 111110 11101 111010 11111 111010 11101 10101 00101 101011 1111 101011 11111 111110 11101 111010 10100 111010 10101 101010 10101 111011 11111 101011 11111 111110 110101 1111010 111101 111010 10101 111010 10101 111011 11111 111111 11111 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,170 |
Words | 212 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 8 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 4, 8, 4, 8, 4, 8, 4 |
Lines Amount | 48 |
Letters per line (avg) | 19 |
Words per line (avg) | 4 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 115 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 26 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:03 min read
- 102 Views
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"Let’s Be Fools To-Night" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/17847/let%E2%80%99s-be-fools-to-night>.
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