Analysis of First Love
John Clare 1793 (Helpston) – 1864 (St Andrew's Hospital)
I ne'er was struck before that hour
With love so sudden and so sweet,
Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower
And stole my heart away complete.
My face turned pale as deadly pale.
My legs refused to walk away,
And when she looked, what could I ail?
My life and all seemed turned to clay.
And then my blood rushed to my face
And took my eyesight quite away,
The trees and bushes round the place
Seemed midnight at noonday.
I could not see a single thing,
Words from my eyes did start --
They spoke as chords do from the string,
And blood burnt round my heart.
Are flowers the winter's choice?
Is love's bed always snow?
She seemed to hear my silent voice,
Not love's appeals to know.
I never saw so sweet a face
As that I stood before.
My heart has left its dwelling-place
And can return no more
Scheme | ABABCDCD EDEBFGFG HIHIEJEJ |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111101110 11110011 011110110 01110101 11111101 11011101 01111111 11011111 01111111 0111101 01010101 1111 11110101 111111 11111101 011111 1100101 11111 11111101 110111 11011101 111101 11111101 010111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 800 |
Words | 157 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 205 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 52 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 27, 2023
- 48 sec read
- 132 Views
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"First Love" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/22230/first-love>.
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