Analysis of Childhood
I cannot reach it; and my striving eye
Dazzles at it, as at eternity.
Were now that chronicle alive,
Those white designs which children drive,
And the thoughts of each harmless hour,
With their content, too, in my power,
Quickly would I make my path even,
And by mere playing go to heaven.
Why should men love
A wolf more than a lamb or dove?
Or choose hell-fire and brimstone streams
Before bright stars and God's own beams?
Who kisseth thorns will hurt his face,
But flowers do both refresh and grace,
And sweetly living - fie on men! -
Are, when dead, medicinal then;
If seeing much should make staid eyes,
And long experience should make wise,
Since all that age doth teach is ill,
Why should I not love childhood still?
Why, if I see a rock or shelf,
Shall I from thence cast down myself?
Or by complying with the world,
From the same precipice be hurled?
Those observations are but foul
Which make me wise to lose my soul.
And yet the practice worldlings call
Business, and weighty action all,
Checking the poor child for his play,
But gravely cast themselves away.
Dear, harmless age! the short, swift span
Where weeping Virtue parts with man;
Where love without lust dwells, and bends
What way we please without self-ends.
An age of mysteries! which he
Must live twice that would God's face see;
Which angels guard, and with it play,
Angels! which foul men drive away.
How do I study now, and scan
Thee more than e'er I studied man,
And only see through a long night
Thy edges and thy bordering light!
Oh for thy center and midday!
For sure that is the narrow way!
Scheme | XABBCCXX DDEEFFGGHHIIJJKKXX LLMM NNOO AAMM NNPPMM |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101101101 111110100 01110001 11011101 001111010 111010110 101111110 011101110 1111 01110111 111100101 01110111 1111111 110110101 01010111 11101001 11011111 010100111 11111111 1111111 11110111 1111111 11010101 10110011 1010111 11111111 0101011 10010101 10011111 11010101 11010111 11010111 11011101 11110111 11110011 11111111 11010111 10111101 11110101 111101101 01011011 110011001 1111001 11110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,538 |
Words | 291 |
Sentences | 19 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 18, 4, 4, 4, 6 |
Lines Amount | 44 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 205 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 48 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 30, 2023
- 1:28 min read
- 137 Views
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"Childhood" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/18418/childhood>.
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