Analysis of On A Shadow In A Glass
Jonathan Swift 1667 (Dublin) – 1745 (Ireland)
By something form'd, I nothing am,
Yet everything that you can name;
In no place have I ever been,
Yet everywhere I may be seen;
In all things false, yet always true,
I'm still the same—but ever new.
Lifeless, life's perfect form I wear,
Can show a nose, eye, tongue, or ear,
Yet neither smell, see, taste, or hear.
All shapes and features I can boast,
No flesh, no bones, no blood—no ghost:
All colours, without paint, put on,
And change like the cameleon.
Swiftly I come, and enter there,
Where not a chink lets in the air;
Like thought, I'm in a moment gone,
Nor can I ever be alone:
All things on earth I imitate
Faster than nature can create;
Sometimes imperial robes I wear,
Anon in beggar's rags appear;
A giant now, and straight an elf,
I'm every one, but ne'er myself;
Ne'er sad I mourn, ne'er glad rejoice,
I move my lips, but want a voice;
I ne'er was born, nor e'er can die,
Then, pr'ythee, tell me what am I?
Most things by me do rise and fall,
And, as I please, they're great and small;
Invading foes without resistance,
With ease I make to keep their distance:
Again, as I'm disposed, the foe
Will come, though not a foot they go.
Both mountains, woods, and hills, and rocks
And gamesome goats, and fleecy flocks,
And lowing herds, and piping swains,
Come dancing to me o'er the plains.
The greatest whale that swims the sea
Does instantly my power obey.
In vain from me the sailor flies,
The quickest ship I can surprise,
And turn it as I have a mind,
And move it against tide and wind.
Nay, bring me here the tallest man,
I'll squeeze him to a little span;
Or bring a tender child, and pliant,
You'll see me stretch him to a giant:
Nor shall they in the least complain,
Because my magic gives no pain.
Scheme | XXAXBBCDDEEXACCXXFFCXGGHHII JJKKLLMMHXXXNNOOPPQQRR |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11011101 1101111 01111101 1101111 0111111 11011101 10101111 11011111 11011111 11010111 11111111 1101111 01101 10110101 11011001 11100101 11110101 1111110 10110101 010100111 101101 01010111 11001111 11111101 11111101 111111011 1111111 11111101 01111101 010101010 111111110 01110101 11110111 11010101 0110101 01010101 110111001 01011101 110011001 01110101 01011101 01111101 01101101 11110101 11110101 110101010 111111010 11100101 01110111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,682 |
Words | 327 |
Sentences | 10 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 27, 22 |
Lines Amount | 49 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 648 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 163 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 24, 2023
- 1:43 min read
- 126 Views
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"On A Shadow In A Glass" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/24289/on-a-shadow-in-a-glass>.
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