Analysis of An Apology For My Son To His Master, For Not Bringing An Exercise On The Coronation Day.

Mary Barber 1685 – 1755



Why are we Scholars plagu'd to write,
On Days devoted to Delight?
In Honour of the King, I'd play
Upon his Coronation Day:
But as for Loyalty in Rhyme,
Defer that to another Time.

Now to excuse this to my Master--
(This Want of Rhyme's a sad Disaster)
Sir, we confess you take great Pains,
And break your own, to mend our Brains.
You strive to make us learn'd, and wise;
But to what End? -- We shall not rise:
In vain should at Preferment aim,
Whilst Strangers make their happier Claim.
Why should we labour to excel,
Doom'd in Obscurity to dwell?
Then, since our Welfare gives you Pain,
(And yet your Toil may prove in vain)
I wish, for your, and for our Ease,
That all were Coronation Days.


Scheme AABBCC DDEEFFGGHHIIXX
Poetic Form Etheree  (25%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 11110111 11010101 0110111 0110101 11110001 01110101 110111110 111101010 11011111 011111101 11111101 11111111 011111 110111001 1111101 10010011 11101111 01111101 111101101 1100101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 681
Words 133
Sentences 8
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 6, 14
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 263
Words per stanza (avg) 66
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

41 sec read
45

Mary Barber

Mary Barber, poet, was a member of Swift's circle. more…

All Mary Barber poems | Mary Barber Books

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