Analysis of Becalmed

James Whitcomb Riley 1849 (Greenfield) – 1916 (Indianapolis)



1
Would that the winds might only blow
As they blew in the golden long ago--!
Laden with odors of Orient isles
Where ever and ever the sunshine smiles,
And the bright sands blend with the shady trees,
And the lotus blooms in the midst of these.

2
Warm winds won from the midland vales
To where the tress of the Siren trails
O'er the flossy tip of the mountain phlox
And the bare limbs twined in the crested rocks,
High above as the seagulls flap
Their lopping wings at the thunder-clap.

3
Ah! That the winds might rise and blow
The great surge up from the port below,
Bloating the sad, lank, silken sails
Of the Argo out with the swift, sweet gales
That blew from Colchis when Jason had
His love's full will and his heart was glad--
When Medea's voice was soft and low.
Ah! That the winds might rise and blow!


Scheme abbccdd aeecxff aBbeeggbB
Poetic Form
Metre 1 11011101 1110010101 101101101 110010011 0011110101 0010100111 1 1111011 110110101 1001110101 0011100101 1011011 110110101 1 11011101 011110101 10011101 1010110111 11111101 111101111 1111101 11011101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 795
Words 157
Sentences 8
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 7, 7, 9
Lines Amount 23
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 211
Words per stanza (avg) 52
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 25, 2023

48 sec read
99

James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively. more…

All James Whitcomb Riley poems | James Whitcomb Riley Books

1 fan

Discuss this James Whitcomb Riley poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Becalmed" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20840/becalmed>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    7
    hours
    26
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    I wandered lonely as a _______ that floats on high o'er vales and hills
    A bird
    B star
    C cloud
    D flower