Analysis of When The Fox Dies, His Skin Counts

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



WE young people in the shade

Sat one sultry day;
Cupid came, and "Dies the Fox"

With us sought to play.

Each one of my friends then sat

By his mistress dear;
Cupid, blowing out the torch,

Said: "The taper's here!"

Then we quickly sent around

The expiring brand;
Each one put it hastily

ln his neighbour's hand.

Dorilis then gave it me,

With a scoffing jest;
Sudden into flame it broke,

By my fingers press'd.

And it singed my eyes and face,

Set my breast on fire;
Then above my head the blaze

Mounted ever higher.

Vain I sought to put it out;

Ever burned the flame;
Stead of dying, soon the Fox

Livelier still became.


Scheme X AB A X XX X X CD C D EX E X FX F X GB G
Poetic Form
Metre 1110001 11101 1010101 11111 1111111 11101 1010101 1011 1110101 00101 1111100 1111 11111 1011 1001111 11101 0111101 111110 1011101 101010 1111111 10101 1110101 100101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 602
Words 120
Sentences 7
Stanzas 18
Stanza Lengths 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 20
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 26
Words per stanza (avg) 7
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
67

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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

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    The poet of the line: "I should be glad of another death." Is...
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