Analysis of The Good-Natured Girls

Ann Taylor 1782 (Islington) – 1866



TWO good little children, named Mary and Ann,
Both happily live, as good girls always can;
And though they are not either sullen or mute,
They seldom or never are heard to dispute.

If one wants a thing that the other would like–
Well,–what do they do? Must they quarrel and strike?
No, each is so willing to give up her own,
That such disagreements are there never known.

If one of them happens to have something nice,
Directly she offers her sister a slice;
And never, like some greedy children, would try
To eat in a corner with nobody by!

When papa or mamma has a job to be done;
These good little children immediately run;
Nor dispute whether this or the other should go,
They would be ashamed to behave themselves so!

Whatever occurs, in their work or their play,
They are willing to yield, and give up their own way:
Then now let us try their example to mind,
And always, like them, be obliging and kind.


Scheme AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH IIJJ
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 11101011001 1100111111 01111101011 11011011101 11101101011 11111111001 11111011101 1101011101 11111011101 01011001001 01011101011 110010111 110110101111 111010010001 101101101011 11101101011 1001011111 111011011111 11111101011 0111101001
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 917
Words 173
Sentences 8
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 36
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 142
Words per stanza (avg) 34
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

51 sec read
52

Ann Taylor

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

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