Analysis of The Dread Beyond Death

Roderic Quinn 1867 (Surry Hills, New South Wales) – 1949 (Darlinghurst, New South Wales)



WHY do you shudder and stare,
Grown cold in a moment and white?
The moon's at her full, and the air
Is flooded with wonderful light.
There is never a sound or a sign
Or a shadow of harm in the trees,
And the little leaves ripple and shine
At the kiss and caress of the breeze.
You tremble and shudder, my love,
As a hare at a hound's flashing fangs —
As a bird, when in azure above
A poising hawk motionless hangs.
Fear not, and the terror shall yield
To peace and to sweetness at length;
My love is a guard and a shield,
My arms are a fortress and strength.
'I fear not the hawk in the sky,
Or the hound, though his fangs flash anear;
A dread beyond death makes me sigh —
'Tis the end of our love that I fear.'


Scheme ABABCDCDEFEFGHGHIAIJ
Poetic Form Etheree  (30%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 1111001 11001001 01101001 11011001 111001101 10111001 001011001 101001101 11001011 101101101 101101001 0111001 11001011 11011011 11101001 11101001 11101001 10111111 01011111 1011101111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 704
Words 149
Sentences 7
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 20
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 541
Words per stanza (avg) 146
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

45 sec read
72

Roderic Quinn

Roderic Joseph Quinn was an Australian poet. more…

All Roderic Quinn poems | Roderic Quinn Books

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