Analysis of Love's Secret
John Boyle O'Reilly 1844 (Dowth) – 1890 (Boston)
LOVE found them sitting in a woodland place,
His amorous hand amid her golden tresses;
And Love looked smiling on her glowing face
And moistened eyes upturned to his caresses.
'O sweet,' she murmured, 'life is utter bliss!'
'Dear heart,' he said, 'our golden cup runs over!'
'Drink, love,' she cried, 'and thank the gods for this!'
He drained the precious lips of cup and lover.
Love blessed the kiss; but, ere he wandered thence,
The mated bosoms heard this benediction:
“Love lies within the brimming bowl of sense:
Who Jceeps this full has joy—who drains, affliction.”
They heard the rustle as he smiling fled:
She reached her hand to pull the roses blowing.
He stretched to take the purple grapes o'erhead;
Love whispered back, 'Nay, Keep their beauties growing.'
They paused, and understood: one flower alone
They took and kept, and Love flew smiling over.
Their roses bloomed, their cup went brimming on—
She looked for love within, and found her lover.
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH XDXD |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain |
Metre | 111100011 110010101010 0111010101 0101111010 1111011101 111110101110 1111010111 11010111010 1101111101 010111010 1101010111 11111111010 1101011101 11011101010 111101011 11011111010 1100111001 11010111010 1101111101 11110101010 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 972 |
Words | 173 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 20 |
Letters per line (avg) | 37 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 149 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 33 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 50 sec read
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"Love's Secret" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/22022/love%27s-secret>.
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