Analysis of Maureen

John Todhunter 1839 (Dublin) – 1916



O, you plant the pain in my heart with your wistful eyes,
Girl of my choice, Maureen!
Will you drive me mad for the kisses your shy, sweet mouth denies,
Maureen?

Like a walking ghost I am, and no words to woo,
White rose of the West, Maureen:
For it 's pale you are, and the fear that 's on you is over me too,
Maureen!

Sure it 's one complaint that 's on us, asthore, this day,
Bride of my dreams, Maureen:
The smart of the bee that stung us his honey must cure, they say,
Maureen!

I'll coax the light to your eyes, and the rose to your face,
Mavourneen, my own Maureen!
When I feel the warmth of your breast, and your nest is my arm's embrace,
Maureen!

O where was the King o' the World that day—only me?
My one true love, Maureen!
And you the Queen with me there, and your throne in my heart, machree,
Maureen!


Scheme abaB cbcB dbdB ebeB xbxB
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 1110101111101 111101 111111010111101 01 101011101111 1110101 111111001111111011 01 1111011111111 111101 011011111101111 01 1101111001111 11101 1110111101111101 01 1110110111101 111101 01011110110111 01
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 820
Words 164
Sentences 10
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 30
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 122
Words per stanza (avg) 32
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

49 sec read
105

John Todhunter

John Todhunter was an Irish poet and playwright who wrote seven volumes of poetry, and several plays. more…

All John Todhunter poems | John Todhunter Books

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