Analysis of Hearts First Word. I.

Isaac Rosenberg 1890 (Bristol) – 1918 (Somme)



To sweeten a swift minute so
With such rare fragrance of sweet speech,
And make the after hours go
In a blank yearning each on each ;
To drain the springs till they be dry,
And then in anguish thirst for drink ;
So but to glimpse her robe thirst I,
And my soul hungers and I sink.

There is no word that we have said
Whereby the lips and heart arc fire;
No look the linked glances read
That held the springs of deep desire.
And yet the sounds her glad lips gave
Are on my soul vibrating still ;
Her eyes that swept me as a wave
Shine my soul's worship to fulfil.

Her hair, her eyes, her throat and chin-
Sweet hair, sweet eyes, sweet throat, so sweet,
So fair because the ways of sin
Have never known her perfect feet-
By what far ways and marvellous
May I such lovely heaven reach ?
What dread, dark seas and perilous
Lie 'twist love's silence and love's speech?


Scheme ABABCDCD EFEFGHGH IJIJABXB
Poetic Form
Metre 11001101 11110111 01010101 00110111 11011111 01010111 11110111 0111011 11111111 010101110 1101101 110111010 01010111 11111001 01111101 1111011 01010101 11111111 11010111 11010011 111101 11110101 11110100 11110011
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 847
Words 168
Sentences 6
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 223
Words per stanza (avg) 57
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

51 sec read
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Isaac Rosenberg

Isaac Rosenberg was an English poet of the First World War. more…

All Isaac Rosenberg poems | Isaac Rosenberg Books

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