Analysis of The Chatterbox

Ann Taylor 1782 (Islington) – 1866



From morning till night it was Lucy's delight
To chatter and talk without stopping:
There was not a day but she rattled away,
Like water for ever a-dropping.

No matter at all if the subjects were small,
Or not worth the trouble of saying,
'Twas equal to her, she would talking prefer
To working, or reading, or playing.

You'll think now, perhaps, that there would have been gaps,
If she had not been wonderfully clever:
That her sense was so great, and so witty her pate,
It would be forthcoming for ever;

But that's quite absurd, for have you not heard
That much tongue and few brains are connected?
That they are supposed to think least who talk most,
And their wisdom is always suspected?

While Lucy was young, had she bridled her tongue,
With a little good sense and exertion,
Who knows, but she might now have been our delight,
Instead of our jest and aversion?


Scheme ABXB XBCB XCXC XDXD XEAE
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 1101111101 110010110 11101111001 110110010 11011101001 111010110 11010111001 110110110 11101111111 11111100010 101111011001 111110110 1110111111 1110111010 11101111111 011011010 11011111001 1010110010 111111111001 0111010010
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 869
Words 159
Sentences 6
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 136
Words per stanza (avg) 31
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

48 sec read
78

Ann Taylor

Ann Taylor is the former wife of Clifton Davis. more…

All Ann Taylor poems | Ann Taylor Books

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