Analysis of Isolation.

Robert Crawford 1959 (Bellshill)



He came by unknown ways, and stood
At evening in the fading wood,
Which when the glowing hills were gone
Would as in a dream murmur on,
As he beside his camp-fire's glare
Sat as if in a vision there,
And felt the silence like a thing
In which his soul was functioning.
He was a poet maybe who
The world's impression dreamy drew
From his own heart in that strange air,
Like one who had been everywhere
And with the stars and fire-lit trees
Did blend a thousand memories,
Making that speck of light his home
Until the dewy dawn should come.
He well had seemed a phantom at
Some mystic work as lone he sat
Within his ring of charméd light,
Who might step out into the night,
And in a mischief-making mood
Perturb the starry solitude
Until his fire burnt out, and then
Might creep back to his camp again,
And wrapped within his blanket be
A thought-deserted entity.


Scheme AABCDDEEFFDDGGHIJJKKLLMMNN
Poetic Form
Metre 11101101 11000101 11010101 11001101 110111101 11100101 01010101 01111100 11010101 01010101 11110111 1111110 010101011 11010100 10111111 01010111 11110101 11011111 01111111 11110101 00010101 0101010 011101101 11111101 01011101 01010100
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 845
Words 164
Sentences 4
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 26
Lines Amount 26
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 680
Words per stanza (avg) 162
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

49 sec read
132

Robert Crawford

Robert Crawford FRSE FBA is a Scottish poet, scholar and critic. He is currently Professor of English at the University of St Andrews.  more…

All Robert Crawford poems | Robert Crawford Books

0 fans

Discuss this Robert Crawford poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Isolation." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/30686/isolation.>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    Robert Crawford

    »

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    24
    days
    4
    hours
    40
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    How may lines and syllables are in a Japanese Waka poem?
    A 31 syllables in five lines
    B 50 syllables in 7 lines
    C 15 syllables in 7 lines
    D 30 syllables in every other line