Analysis of The Triple Fool
John Donne 1572 (London) – 1631 (London)
I am two fools, I know—
For loving, and for saying so
In whining poetry;
But where's that wiseman that would not be I,
If she would not deny?
Then, as th' earths inward narrow crooked lanes
Do purge sea waters fretful salt away,
I thought, if I could draw my pains
Through rhymes vexation, I should them allay.
Grief brought to numbers cannot be so fierce,
For he tames it that fetters it in verse.
But when I have done so,
Some man, his art and voice to show,
Doth set and sing my pain,
And, by delighting many, frees again
Grief, which verse did restrain.
To Love and Grief tribute of verse belongs,
But not of such as pleases when 'tis read;
Both are increased by such songs,
For both their triumphs so are published;
And I, which was two fooles, do so grow three;
Who are a little wise, the best fools be.
Scheme | AABCCDEDEXX AAFXFGXGXBB |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111111 11001101 010100 1111011111 111101 111111010101 1111010101 11111111 11111101 1111010111 1111110101 111111 11110111 110111 0101010101 111101 1101101101 1111110111 1101111 111101110 0111111111 1101010111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 799 |
Words | 158 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 11, 11 |
Lines Amount | 22 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 311 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 78 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 47 sec read
- 122 Views
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