Analysis of The Seance
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
"The spirits do not like the light,"
The medium said, and turned the switch;
The little lady on my right
Clutched at my hand with nervous twitch.
(She seemed to be a pretty bitch.)
The moustached women on my left,
With spirits on hr heavy breath,
Lasciviously leaned her heft
On me as one who languisheth.
The sordid room was still as death.
"A shape I see," the medium cried,
"Whose face and name I do not know . . ."
"'Tis Robert service," soft replied
A voice - "I passed a month ago,
And I've come back to let you know.
"The Other Side is gay and bright;
We are so happy there and free,
And Dan McGrew I oft recite,
And follow up with Sam McGee . . .
But now excuse me, I must flee."
The fat dame leaned to get my ear,
(Her breast was soft as feather bed.)
"I love his verses; oh dear, dear,
I didn't know that he was dead."
"No more did I," I sourly said.
The little lady grabbed me hard;
(She looked to me a "yesful" dear.)
Said she: "Don't you adore the Bard?"
Said I: "Before he fades, I fear
I'd like to kick his astral rear."
So then I bravely broke away
From spooks and ectoplasic gauze.
Yet in the brazen light of day
I had to pinch myself because
Really! I wondered if I was.
Scheme | ABABB CDCDD EFEFF AGAGG XHIHH JIJII KLKLX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 01011101 010010101 01010111 11111101 11110101 0110111 11011101 1101 111111 01011111 011101001 11011111 11010101 01110101 01111111 01011101 11110101 01011101 01011101 11011111 01111111 01111101 11110111 11011111 1111111 01010111 1111011 11110101 11011111 11111101 11110101 11011 10010111 1111101 10110111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,162 |
Words | 246 |
Sentences | 22 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 |
Lines Amount | 35 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 125 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 34 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:12 min read
- 51 Views
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"The Seance" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/32639/the-seance>.
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