Analysis of Vppon a Deedmans Hed
John Skelton 1460 (Norfolk) – 1529 (London)
[Skelton Laureat vppon a deedmans hed that was sent to hym from an honorable Ientyll-woman for a token Deuysyd this gostly medytacyon in Englysh Couenable in sentence Comendable, Lamentable, Lacrymable, Profytable for the soule.]
Youre vgly tokyn.
My mynd hath brokyn.
From worldly lust.
For I haue dyscust.
We ar but dust.
And dy we must.
It is generall.
To be mortall.
I haue well espyde.
No man may hym hyde.
From deth holow-eyed.
With synnews wyderyd.
With bonys shyderyd.
With hys worme-etyn maw.
And hys gastly Iaw.
Gaspyng asyde.
Nakyd of hyde.
Neyther flesh nor fell.
Then by my councell.
Loke that ye spell.
Well thys gospell.
For wher-so we dwell.
Deth wyll vs quell.
And with vs mell.
For all oure pamperde paunchys.
Ther may no fraunchys.
Nor worldly blys.
Redeme vs from this.
Oure days be datyd.
To be chek-matyd.
With drawttys of deth.
Stoppyng oure breth.
Oure eyen synkyng.
Oure bodys stynkyng.
Oure gummys grynnyng.
Oure soulys brynnyng.
To whom then shall we sew.
For to haue rescew.
But to swete Iesu.
On vs then for to rew.
O goodly chyld.
Of Mary mylde.
Then be oure shylde.
That we be not exylyd.
To the dyne dale.
Of boteles bale. Nor to the lake.
Of fendys blake.
But graunt vs grace.
To se thy face.
And to purchace.
Thyne heuenly place.
And thy palace.
Full of solace.
Aboue the sky.
That is so hy.
Eternally.
To beholde and se.
The Trynyte.
Scheme | A BBCCCC AACDDCCXXCDE AEAEEE FFFFCCGGHHHHFFFX CCCCXHH FFFFFFHXXFC |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 101101111111111000110101011110110101010011101 111 1111 1101 1111 1111 0111 111 111 1111 11111 1111 111 111 11111 0111 11 111 1111 1111 1111 111 11111 11101 01101 11111 1111 1101 11011 1111 1111 1111 111 111 111 111 111 111111 1111 1111 1101111 1101 1101 1111 11111 1011 1111101 111 11101 1111 011 111 0110 1110 101 1111 0100 1101 01 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,323 |
Words | 249 |
Sentences | 62 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 6, 12, 6, 16, 7, 11 |
Lines Amount | 59 |
Letters per line (avg) | 18 |
Words per line (avg) | 4 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 151 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 35 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:14 min read
- 69 Views
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"Vppon a Deedmans Hed" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/24117/vppon-a-deedmans-hed>.
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