Analysis of The Painted Ceiling

Amy Lowell 1874 (Brookline) – 1925 (Brookline)



My Grandpapa lives in a wonderful house
With a great many windows and doors,
There are stairs that go up, and stairs that go down,
And such beautiful, slippery floors.

But of all of the rooms, even mother's and mine,
And the bookroom, and parlour and all,
I like the green dining-room so much the best
Because of its ceiling and wall.

Right over your head is a funny round hole
With apples and pears falling through;
There's a big bunch of grapes all purply and sweet,
And melons and pineapples too.

They tumble and tumble, but never come down
Though I've stood underneath a long while
With my mouth open wide, for I always have hoped
Just a cherry would drop from the pile.

No matter how early I run there to look
It has always begun to fall through;
And one night when at bedtime I crept in to see,
It was falling by candle-light too.

I am sure they are magical fruits, and each one
Makes you hear things, or see things, or go
Forever invisible; but it's no use,
And of course I shall just never know.

For the ladder's too heavy to lift, and the chairs
Are not nearly so tall as I need.
I've given up hope, and I feel I shall die
Without having accomplished the deed.

It's a little bit sad, when you seem very near
To adventures and things of that sort,
Which nearly begin, and then don't; and you know
It is only because you are short.


Scheme XABA XCXC XDXD BEXE XDXD XFXF XGXG XHFH
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 111001001 101101001 11111101111 011001001 111101101001 00101001 11011011101 01111001 11011101011 11001101 1011111101 0100101 11001011011 11101011 11110111111 101011101 11011011111 11101111 01111111011 111011011 111111001011 111111111 01001001111 011111101 10111011001 111011111 11011011111 011001001 101011111101 101001111 11001011011 111001111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,346
Words 259
Sentences 10
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 32
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 130
Words per stanza (avg) 32
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:20 min read
90

Amy Lowell

Amy Lawrence Lowell was an American poet of the imagist school from Brookline, Massachusetts who posthumously won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1926. more…

All Amy Lowell poems | Amy Lowell Books

2 fans

Discuss this Amy Lowell poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Painted Ceiling" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/2329/the-painted-ceiling>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    24
    days
    6
    hours
    23
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    What animal did Robert Burns call "Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie"?
    A Sparrow
    B Mole
    C Spider
    D Mouse