Analysis of Our Little Ghost
Oft, in the silence of the night,
When the lonely moon rides high,
When wintry winds are whistling,
And we hear the owl's shrill cry,
In the quiet, dusky chamber,
By the flickering firelight,
Rising up between two sleepers,
Comes a spirit all in white.
A winsome little ghost it is,
Rosy-cheeked, and bright of eye;
With yellow curls all breaking loose
From the small cap pushed awry.
Up it climbs among the pillows,
For the 'big dark' brings no dread,
And a baby's boundless fancy
Makes a kingdom of a bed.
A fearless little ghost it is;
Safe the night seems as the day;
The moon is but a gentle face,
And the sighing winds are gay.
The solitude is full of friends,
And the hour brings no regrets;
For, in this happy little soul,
Shines a sun that never sets.
A merry little ghost it is,
Dancing gayly by itself,
On the flowery counterpane,
Like a tricksy household elf;
Nodding to the fitful shadows,
As they flicker on the wall;
Talking to familiar pictures,
Mimicking the owl's shrill call.
A thoughtful little ghost if is;
And, when lonely gambols tire,
With chubby hands on chubby knees,
It sits winking at the fire.
Fancies innocent and lovely
Shine before those baby-eyes, -
Endless fields of dandelions,
Brooks, and birds, and butterflies.
A loving little ghost it is:
When crept into its nest,
Its hand on father's shoulder laid,
Its head on mother's breast,
It watches each familiar face,
With a tranquil, trusting eye;
And, like a sleepy little bird,
Sings its own soft lullaby.
Then those who feigned to sleep before,
Lest baby play till dawn,
Wake and watch their folded flower -
Little rose without a thorn.
And, in the silence of the night,
The hearts that love it most
Pray tenderly above its sleep,
'God bless our little ghost!'
Scheme | ABXBCADA EBXBFGHG EIJIXKXK ELMLFNDN ECXCHOXO EPXPJBXB XMCMAQXQ |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 10010101 1010111 1101110 0110111 0010110 101001 10101110 1010101 01010111 1010111 11011101 1011101 11101010 1011111 00101010 1010101 01010111 1011101 01110101 0010111 0101111 00101101 10110101 1011101 01010111 101101 101001 10111 1010101 1110101 10101010 1000111 01010111 0110110 11011101 11101010 10100010 1011101 1011100 101010 01010111 110111 11110101 111101 11010101 1010101 01010101 111110 11111101 110111 10111010 1010101 00010101 011111 11000111 1110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,754 |
Words | 315 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 56 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 194 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 45 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 29, 2023
- 1:35 min read
- 237 Views
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"Our Little Ghost" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/26072/our-little-ghost>.
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