Analysis of The Stranger
John Clare 1793 (Helpston) – 1864 (St Andrew's Hospital)
When trouble haunts me, need I sigh?
No, rather smile away despair;
For those have been more sad than I,
With burthens more than I could bear;
Aye, gone rejoicing under care
Where I had sunk in black despair.
When pain disturbs my peace and rest,
Am I a hopeless grief to keep,
When some have slept on torture's breast
And smiled as in the sweetest sleep,
Aye, peace on thorns, in faith forgiven,
And pillowed on the hope of heaven?
Though low and poor and broken down,
Am I to think myself distrest?
No, rather laugh where others frown
And think my being truly blest;
For others I can daily see
More worthy riches worse than me.
Aye, once a stranger blest the earth
Who never caused a heart to mourn,
Whose very voice gave sorrow mirth--
And how did earth his worth return?
It spurned him from its lowliest lot,
The meanest station owned him not;
An outcast thrown in sorrow's way,
A fugitive that knew no sin,
Yet in lone places forced to stray--
Men would not take the stranger in.
Yet peace, though much himself he mourned,
Was all to others he returned.
* * * * *
His presence was a peace to all,
He bade the sorrowful rejoice.
Pain turned to pleasure at his call,
Health lived and issued from his voice.
He healed the sick and sent abroad
The dumb rejoicing in the Lord.
The blind met daylight in his eye,
The joys of everlasting day;
The sick found health in his reply;
The cripple threw his crutch away.
Yet he with troubles did remain
And suffered poverty and pain.
Yet none could say of wrong he did,
And scorn was ever standing bye;
Accusers by their conscience chid,
When proof was sought, made no reply.
Yet without sin he suffered more
Than ever sinners did before.
Scheme | ABABBB CDCDEE FCFCGG HXHXII JKJKXX LMLMXX AJAJNN XACAOO |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11011111 11010101 11111111 1111111 11010101 11110101 11011101 11010111 1111111 01100101 111101010 01101110 11010101 111111 11011101 01110101 11011101 11010111 11010101 11010111 11011101 01111101 1111111 01010111 111011 01001111 10110111 11110100 11110111 11110101 1 11010111 11010001 11110111 11010111 11010101 01010001 0111011 0110101 01110101 01011101 11110101 01010001 11111111 01110101 01011101 11111101 10111101 11010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,639 |
Words | 316 |
Sentences | 16 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 1, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 49 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 145 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 35 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 26, 2023
- 1:35 min read
- 219 Views
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"The Stranger" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/22340/the-stranger>.
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