Analysis of Her Muffe

Richard Lovelace 1618 – 1657



I.
Twas not for some calm blessing to deceive,
Thou didst thy polish'd hands in shagg'd furs weave;
  It were no blessing thus obtain'd;
  Thou rather would'st a curse have gain'd,
Then let thy warm driven snow be ever stain'd.

II.
Not that you feared the discolo'ring cold
Might alchymize their silver into gold;
  Nor could your ten white nuns so sin,
  That you should thus pennance them in,
Each in her coarse hair smock of discipline.

III.
Nor, Hero-like who, on their crest still wore
A lyon, panther, leopard, or a bore,
  To looke their enemies in their herse,
  Thou would'st thy hand should deeper pierce,
And, in its softness rough, appear more fierce.

IV.
No, no, LUCASTA, destiny decreed,
That beasts to thee a sacrifice should bleed,
  And strip themselves to make you gay:
  For ne'r yet herald did display
A coat, where SABLES upon ERMIN lay.

V.
This for lay-lovers, that must stand at dore,
Salute the threshold, and admire no more;
  But I, in my invention tough,
  Rate not this outward bliss enough,
But still contemplate must the hidden muffe.


Scheme ABBCCC ADDEEX AFFGGG BHHIII XFFJJB
Poetic Form Tetractys  (30%)
Etheree  (27%)
Metre 1 1111110101 1111010111 10110101 110110111 11111011101 1 1111011 11110011 11111111 1111110 1001111100 1 1101111111 0101010101 111100011 111111101 0011010111 1 11110001 111101011 01011111 111110101 0111001101 1 1111011111 010100111 11010101 11110101 111010101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,119
Words 186
Sentences 11
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 30
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 162
Words per stanza (avg) 37
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

58 sec read
57

Richard Lovelace

Richard Lovelace was an English poet more…

All Richard Lovelace poems | Richard Lovelace Books

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