Analysis of A Christmas Memory
James Whitcomb Riley 1849 (Greenfield) – 1916 (Indianapolis)
Pa he bringed me here to stay
'Til my Ma she's well.--An' nen
He's go' hitch up, Chris'mus-day,
An' come take me back again
Wher' my Ma's at! Won't I be
Tickled when he comes fer me!
My Ma an' my A'nty they
'Uz each-uvver's sisters. Pa--
A'nty telled me, th' other day,--
He comed here an' married Ma....
A'nty said nen, 'Go run play,
I must work now!' ... An' I saw,
When she turn' her face away,
She 'uz cryin'.--An' nen I
'Tend-like I 'run play'--an' cry.
This-here house o' A'nty's wher'
They 'uz borned--my Ma an' her!--
An' her Ma 'uz my Ma's Ma,
An' her Pa 'uz my Ma's Pa--
Ain't that funny?--An' they're dead:
An' this-here's 'th' ole Homestead.'--
An' my A'nty said, an' cried,
It's mine, too, ef my Ma died--
Don't know what she mean--'cause my
Ma she's nuvver go' to die!
When Pa bringed me here 't 'uz night--
'Way dark night! An' A'nty spread
Me a piece--an' light the light
An' say I must go to bed.--
I cry not to---but Pa said,
'Be good boy now, like you telled
Mommy 'at you're go' to be!'
An', when he 'uz kissin' me
My good night, his cheeks' all wet
An' taste salty.--An' he held
Wite close to me an' rocked some
An' langhed-like--'til A'nty come
Git me while he's rockin' yet.
A'nty he'p me, 'til I be
Purt'-nigh strip-pud--nen hug me
In bofe arms an' lif' me 'way
Up in her high bed--an' pray
Wiv me,--'bout my Ma--an' Pa--
An' ole Santy Claus--an' Sleigh--
An' Reindeers an' little Drum--
Yes, an' Picture-books, 'Tom Thumb,'
An' 'Three Bears,' an' ole 'Fee-Faw'--
Yes, an' 'Tweedle-Dee' an' 'Dum,'
An' 'White Knight' an' 'Squidjicum,'
An' most things you ever saw!--
An' when A'nty kissed me, she
'Uz all cryin' over me!
Don't want Santy Claus--ner things
Any kind he ever brings!--
Don't want A'nty!--Don't want Pa!--
I ist only want my Ma!
Scheme | ABABCC ADADAEAFF GGDD HHIIFF JHJHHACCKXLLK CCAADALLE LLECC MMDD |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111111 1111111 111111 1111101 1111111 1011111 111111 111101 11111101 1111101 111111 1111111 1110101 111111 1111111 111111 1111110 1011111 1011111 1110111 1111111 111111 1111111 1111101 111111 11111111 111111 1011101 1111111 1111111 1111111 1011111 111111 1111111 1110111 1111111 111111 111111 1111111 1111111 0111111 1001111 1111111 1110111 111101 1110111 1111111 111111 11111 1111101 111111 111101 1110111 1011101 111111 1110111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,718 |
Words | 347 |
Sentences | 25 |
Stanzas | 8 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 9, 4, 6, 13, 9, 5, 4 |
Lines Amount | 56 |
Letters per line (avg) | 21 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 148 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 41 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:53 min read
- 93 Views
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"A Christmas Memory" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20759/a-christmas-memory>.
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