Analysis of To Father Kronos

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 (Frankfurt) – 1832 (Weimar)



HASTEN thee, Kronos!
On with clattering trot
Downhill goeth thy path;
Loathsome dizziness ever,
When thou delayest, assails me.
Quick, rattle along,
Over stock and stone let thy trot
Into life straightway lead

Now once more
Up the toilsome ascent
Hasten, panting for breath!
Up, then, nor idle be,--
Striving and hoping, up, up!

Wide, high, glorious the view
Gazing round upon life,
While from mount unto mount
Hovers the spirit eterne,
Life eternal foreboding.

Sideways a roof's pleasant shade
Attracts thee,
And a look that promises coolness
On the maidenly threshold.
There refresh thee! And, maiden,
Give me this foaming draught also,
Give me this health-laden look!

Down, now! quicker still, down!
See where the sun sets
Ere he sets, ere old age
Seizeth me in the morass,
Ere my toothless jaws mumble,
And my useless limbs totter;
While drunk with his farewell beam
Hurl me,--a fiery sea
Foaming still in mine eye,--
Hurl me, while dazzled and reeling,
Down to the gloomy portal of hell.

Blow, then, gossip, thy horn,
Speed on with echoing trot,
So that Orcus may know we are coming;
So that our host may with joy
Wait at the door to receive us.


Scheme XAXBCXAX XXXCX XXXDE XCFXDXX DXXXXBXCXEX DAEXF
Poetic Form
Metre 10110 111001 11111 1010010 111011 11001 10101111 01111 111 10101 101011 111101 1001011 1110001 101011 111101 100101 1010010 101101 011 001110010 1011 1011010 11110110 1111101 111011 11011 111111 110001 1110110 0110110 111111 1101001 101011 11110010 110101011 111011 1111001 111111110 11101111 11011011
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,118
Words 204
Sentences 13
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 8, 5, 5, 7, 11, 5
Lines Amount 41
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 149
Words per stanza (avg) 33
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:01 min read
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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer and politician. more…

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