Analysis of The Little Cripple's Complaint
Ann Taylor 1782 (Islington) – 1866
I'm a helpless cripple child,
Gentle Christians, pity me;
Once, in rosy health I smiled,
Blithe and gay as you can be,
And upon the village green
First in every sport was seen.
Now, alas! I'm weak and low,
Cannot either work or play;
Tottering on my crutches, slow,
Thus I drag my weary way:
Now no longer dance and sing,
Gaily, in the merry ring.
Many sleepless nights I live,
Turning on my weary bed;
Softest pillows cannot give
Slumber to my aching head;
Constant anguish makes it fly
From my heavy, wakeful eye.
And, when morning beams return,
Still no comfort beams for me:
Still my limbs with fever burn,
Painful still my crippled knee.
And another tedious day
Passes slow and sad away.
From my chamber-window high,
Lifted to my easy-chair,
I the village-green can spy,
Once I used to frolic there,
March, or beat my new-bought drum;
Happy times! no more to come.
There I see my fellows gay,
Sporting on the daisied turf,
And, amidst their cheerful play,
Stopp'd by many a merry laugh;
But the sight I scarce can bear,
Leaning in my easy-chair.
Let not then the scoffing eye
Laugh, my twisted leg to see:
Gentle Christians, passing by,
Stop awhile, and pity me,
And for you I'll breathe a prayer,
Leaning in my easy-chair.
Scheme | ababcc dedeff xgxghh ibibee hjhjkk exexjJ hbhbjJ |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1010101 1010101 1010111 1011111 0010101 10100111 1011101 1010111 10011101 1111101 1110101 1000101 1010111 1011101 1010101 1011101 1010111 111011 0110101 1110111 1111101 1011101 00101001 1010101 1110101 1011101 1010111 1111101 1111111 1011111 1111101 101011 0011101 11100101 1011111 1001101 111011 1110111 1010101 1010101 0111101 1001101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,225 |
Words | 224 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 42 |
Letters per line (avg) | 23 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 135 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 32 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:08 min read
- 78 Views
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