Analysis of Night
James Brunton Stephens 1835 (Scotland) – 1902
Hark how the tremulous night-wind is passing in joy-laden sighs;
Soft through my window it comes, like the fanning of pinions angelic,
Whispering to cease from myself, and look out on the infinite skies.
Out on the orb-studded night, and the crescent effulgence of Dian;
Out on the far-gleaming star-dust that marks where the angels have trod;
Out on the gem-pointed Cross, and the glittering pomp of Orion,
Flaming in measureless azure, the coronal jewels of God;
Luminous streams of delight in the silent immensity flowing,
Journeying surgelessly on through impalpable ethers of peace.
How can I think of myself when infinitude o'er me is glowing,
Glowing with tokens of love from the land where my sorrows shall cease?
Oh, summer-night of the South! Oh, sweet languor of zephyrs love-sighing!
Oh, mighty circuit of shadowy solitude, holy and still!
Music scarce audible, echo-less harmony joyously dying,
Dying in faint suspirations o'er meadow, and forest, and hill!
I must go forth and be part of it, part of the night and its gladness.
But a few steps, and I pause on the marge of the shining lagoon.
Here then, at length, I have rest; and I lay down my burden of sadness,
Kneeling alone 'neath the stars and the silvery arc of the moon.
Scheme | AXA BCBC DEDE DFDF AGXG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101001111001101 111101110101110 1001111011101001 110110100101110 1101101111101011 11011010010011010 100110011011 10011010010110 10011111011 11111111101110 1011011101111011 1101101111110110 110101100101001 101100101100110 1001110101001 1111011111101011 1011011101101001 11111110111110110 1001101001001101 |
Characters | 1,278 |
Words | 215 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 3, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 19 |
Letters per line (avg) | 52 |
Words per line (avg) | 11 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 196 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 43 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 13, 2023
- 1:05 min read
- 104 Views
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"Night" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20012/night>.
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