Analysis of A Leave-Taking
James Whitcomb Riley 1849 (Greenfield) – 1916 (Indianapolis)
She will not smile;
She will not stir;
I marvel while
I look on her.
The lips are chilly
And will not speak;
The ghost of a lily
In either cheek.
Her hair--ah me!
Her hair--her hair!
How helplessly
My hands go there!
But my caresses
Meet not hers,
O golden tresses
That thread my tears!
I kiss the eyes
On either lid,
Where her love lies
Forever hid.
I cease my weeping
And smile and say:
I will be sleeping
Thus, some day!
| Scheme | ABABCDCD CECEFXFX GHGHIJIJ |
|---|---|
| Poetic Form | |
| Metre | 1111 1111 1101 1110 01110 0111 011010 0101 0111 0101 1100 1111 11010 110 11010 1111 1101 1101 1011 0101 11110 0101 11110 111 |
| Closest metre | Iambic dimeter |
| Characters | 408 |
| Words | 86 |
| Sentences | 9 |
| Stanzas | 3 |
| Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
| Lines Amount | 24 |
| Letters per line (avg) | 13 |
| Words per line (avg) | 4 |
| Letters per stanza (avg) | 107 |
| Words per stanza (avg) | 28 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 16, 2023
- 25 sec read
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"A Leave-Taking" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20778/a-leave-taking>.
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