Analysis of Inscriptions: VII: The Wood Nymph
Mark Akenside 1721 (Newcastle upon Tyne) – 1770
Approach in silence. 'tis no vulgar tale
Which I, the Dryad of this hoary oak,
Pronounce to mortal ears. The second age
Now hasteneth to its period, since i rose
On this fair lawn. The groves of yonder vale
Are, all, my offspring: and each Nymph, who guards
The copses and the furrow'd fields beyond,
Obeys me. Many changes have i seen
In human things, and many awful deeds
Of justice, when the ruling hand of Jove
Against the tyrants of the land, against
The unhallow'd sons of luxury and guile,
Was arm'd for retribution. Thus at length
Expert in laws divine, i know the paths
Of wisdom, and erroneous folly's end
Have oft presag'd: and now well-pleas'd i wait
Each evening till a noble youth, who loves
My shade, awhile releas'd from public cares,
Yon peaceful gate shall enter, and sit down
Beneath my branches. Then his musing mind
I prompt, unseen; and place before his view
Sincerest forms of good; and move his heart
With the dread bounties of the sire supreme
Of gods and men, with freedom's generous deeds,
The lofty voice of glory and the faith
Of sacred friendship. Stranger, i have told
My function. If within thy bosom dwell
Aught which may challenge praise, thou wilt not leave
Unhonor'd my abode, nor shall i hear
A sparing benediction from thy tongue.
Scheme | ABCDAEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSITUHVWXIYZ |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) Etheree (20%) |
Metre | 0101011101 110111101 0111010101 1111100111 1111011101 111101111 010010101 0111010111 0101010101 1101010111 0101010101 011110001 111010111 1001011101 1100010011 1110011111 1101010111 1101011101 1101110011 0111011101 1101010111 11110111 10110101001 11011101001 0101110001 1101010111 1101011101 1111011111 11011111 010010111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,247 |
Words | 228 |
Sentences | 10 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 30 |
Lines Amount | 30 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 996 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 226 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:11 min read
- 90 Views
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"Inscriptions: VII: The Wood Nymph" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/26496/inscriptions%3A-vii%3A-the-wood-nymph>.
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