Analysis of In White

Robert Frost 1874 (San Francisco) – 1963 (Boston)



A dented spider like a snow drop white
On a white Heal-all, holding up a moth
Like a white piece of lifeless satin cloth -
Saw ever curious eye so strange a sight? -
Portent in little, assorted death and blight
Like the ingredients of a witches' broth? -
The beady spider, the flower like a froth,
And the moth carried like a paper kite.

What had that flower to do with being white,
The blue prunella every child's delight.
What brought the kindred spider to that height?
(Make we no thesis of the miller's plight.)
What but design of darkness and of night?
Design, design! Do I use the word aright?


Scheme ABBAABBA AAAAAA
Poetic Form
Metre 0101010111 1011110101 1011110101 11010011101 10010010101 10010010101 01010010101 0011010101 11110111101 01010100101 1101010111 1111010101 1101110011 0101111011
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 594
Words 115
Sentences 10
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 232
Words per stanza (avg) 56
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 04, 2023

35 sec read
589

Robert Frost

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in America. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. more…

All Robert Frost poems | Robert Frost Books

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