Analysis of To Harriet

Percy Bysshe Shelley 1792 (Horsham) – 1822 (Lerici)



Thy look of love has power to calm
The stormiest passion of my soul;
Thy gentle words are drops of balm
In life's too bitter bowl;
No grief is mine, but that alone
These choicest blessings I have known.

Harriet! if all who long to live
In the warm sunshine of thine eye,
That price beyond all pain must give,-
Beneath thy scorn to die;
Then hear thy chosen own too late
His heart most worthy of thy hate.

Be thou, then, one among mankind
Whose heart is harder not for state,
Thou only virtuous, gentle, kind,
Amid a world of hate;
And by a slight endurance seal
A fellow-being's lasting weal.

For pale with anguish is his cheek,
His breath comes fast, his eyes are dim,
Thy name is struggling ere he speak,
Weak is each trembling limb;
In mercy let him not endure
The misery of a fatal cure.

Oh, trust for once no erring guide!
Bid the remorseless feeling flee;
'Tis malice, 'tis revenge, 'tis pride,
'Tis anything but thee;
Oh, deign a nobler pride to prove,
And pity if thou canst not love.


Scheme ABABCC XDXDEE FEFEXB GHGHII JKJKXX
Poetic Form Etheree  (33%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 111111011 010010111 11011111 011101 11111101 11010111 100111111 0011111 11011111 011111 11110111 11110111 11110111 11110111 110100101 010111 01011001 01010101 11110111 11111111 111100111 1111001 01011101 010010101 11111101 10010101 11010111 11011 11010111 01011111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 971
Words 190
Sentences 8
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 30
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 153
Words per stanza (avg) 37
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 30, 2023

57 sec read
95

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is regarded by critics as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. more…

All Percy Bysshe Shelley poems | Percy Bysshe Shelley Books

8 fans

Discuss this Percy Bysshe Shelley poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "To Harriet" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/29301/to-harriet>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    14
    hours
    12
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who was “admirably schooled in every grace”?
    A Odysseus
    B J. Alfred Prufrock
    C Richard Cory
    D Miniver Cheevy