Analysis of My Spouse Nancy
Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)
'Husband, husband, cease your strife,
Nor longer idly rave, Sir;
Tho' I am your wedded wife
Yet I am not your slave, Sir.'
'One of two must still obey,
Nancy, Nancy;
Is it Man or Woman, say,
My spouse Nancy?'
'If 'tis still the lordly word,
Service and obedience;
I'll desert my sov'reign lord,
And so, good bye, allegiance!'
'Sad shall I be, so bereft,
Nancy, Nancy;
Yet I'll try to make a shift,
My spouse Nancy.'
'My poor heart, then break it must,
My last hour I am near it:
When you lay me in the dust,
Think how you will bear it.'
'I will hope and trust in Heaven,
Nancy, Nancy;
Strength to bear it will be given,
My spouse Nancy.'
'Well, Sir, from the silent dead,
Still I'll try to daunt you;
Ever round your midnight bed
Horrid sprites shall haunt you!'
'I'll wed another like my dear
Nancy, Nancy;
Then all hell will fly for fear,
My spouse Nancy.'
Scheme | ababcDcD xexexDxD fgfghDhD ijijkDkD |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1010111 1101011 1111101 1111111 1111101 1010 1111101 1110 111011 1000100 110111 0111010 1111101 1010 1111101 1110 1111111 11101111 1111001 111111 11101010 1010 11111110 1110 1110101 111111 101111 101111 11010111 1010 1111111 1110 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 866 |
Words | 173 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 32 |
Letters per line (avg) | 20 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 157 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 41 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 51 sec read
- 101 Views
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"My Spouse Nancy" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/30535/my-spouse-nancy>.
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