Analysis of On Sending My Son, As A Present, To Dr. Swift, Dean Of St. Patrick's, On His Birth--Day.



A Curious Statue, we are told,
Is priz'd above its Weight in Gold;
If the fair Form the Hand confess
Of Phidias, or Praxiteles:
But if the Artist could inspire
The smallest Spark of heav'nly Fire,
Tho' but enough to make it walk,
Salute the Company, or talk;
This would advance the Price so high,
What Prince were rich enough to buy?
Such if Hibernia could obtain,
She sure would give it to the Dean:
So to her Patriot should she pay
Her Thanks upon his natal Day.

A richer Present I design,
A finish'd Form, of Work divine,
Surpassing all the Power of Art,
A thinking Head, and grateful Heart,
An Heart, that hopes, one Day, to show
How much we to the Drapier owe.

Kings could not send a nobler Gift;
A meaner were unworthy Swift.


Scheme AABBXXCCDDXXEE FFGGHH II
Poetic Form
Metre 01001111 11011101 10110101 1111 11010101 01011110 11011111 01010011 11010111 11010111 11100101 11111101 110100111 01011101 01010101 01011101 010101011 01010101 11111111 1111011 11110101 01000101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 718
Words 140
Sentences 5
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 14, 6, 2
Lines Amount 22
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 188
Words per stanza (avg) 46
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

42 sec read
103

Mary Barber

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

All Mary Barber poems | Mary Barber Books

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    "On Sending My Son, As A Present, To Dr. Swift, Dean Of St. Patrick's, On His Birth--Day." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/26629/on-sending-my-son%2C-as-a-present%2C-to-dr.-swift%2C-dean-of-st.-patrick%27s%2C-on-his-birth--day.>.

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