Analysis of Sonnet 04
Alan Seeger 1888 (New York City) – 1916
If I was drawn here from a distant place,
'Twas not to pray nor hear our friend's address,
But, gazing once more on your winsome face,
To worship there Ideal Loveliness.
On that pure shrine that has too long ignored
The gifts that once I brought so frequently
I lay this votive offering, to record
How sweet your quiet beauty seemed to me.
Enchanting girl, my faith is not a thing
By futile prayers and vapid psalm-singing
To vent in crowded nave and public pew.
My creed is simple: that the world is fair,
And beauty the best thing to worship there,
And I confess it by adoring you.
Scheme | ABAACDCDEEFGGF |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111110101 1111111011 1101111101 1101011 1111111101 0111111100 1111100101 1111010111 0101111101 1101010110 1101010101 1111010111 0100111101 0101110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 591 |
Words | 111 |
Sentences | 5 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
Lines Amount | 14 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 459 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 109 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 33 sec read
- 85 Views
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"Sonnet 04" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/317/sonnet-04>.
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