Analysis of The Lyon And The Gnat
Anne Kingsmill Finch 1661 – 1720 (Westminster)
To the still Covert of a Wood
About the prime of Day,
A Lyon, satiated with Food,
With stately Pace, and sullen Mood,
Now took his lazy way.
To Rest he there himself compos'd,
And in his Mind revolv'd,
How Great a Person it enclos'd,
How free from Danger he repos'd,
Though now in Ease dissolv'd!
Who Guard, nor Centinel did need,
Despising as a Jest
All whom the Forest else did feed,
As Creatures of an abject Breed,
Who durst not him molest.
But in the Air a Sound he heard,
That gave him some dislike;
At which he shook his grisly Beard,
Enough to make the Woods affeard,
And stretch'd his Paw to strike.
When on his lifted Nose there fell
A Creature, slight of Wing,
Who neither fear'd his Grin, nor Yell,
Nor Strength, that in his Jaws did dwell,
But gores him with her Sting.
Transported with th' Affront and Pain,
He terribly exclaims,
Protesting, if it comes again,
Its guilty Blood the Grass shall stain.
And to surprize it aims.
The scoffing Gnat now laugh'd aloud,
And bids him upwards view
The Jupiter within the Cloud,
That humbl'd him, who was so proud,
And this sharp Thunder threw.
That Taunt no Lyon's Heart cou'd bear;
And now much more he raves,
Whilst this new Perseus in the Air
Do's War and Strife again declare,
And all his Terrour braves.
Upon his haughty Neck she rides,
Then on his lashing Tail;
(Which need not now provoke his Sides)
Where she her slender Weapon guides,
And makes all Patience fail.
A Truce at length he must propose,
The Terms to be her Own;
Who likewise Rest and Quiet chose,
Contented now her Life to close,
When she'd such Triumph known.
You mighty Men, who meaner ones despise,
Learn from this Fable to become more Wise;
You see the Lyon may be vext with Flies
Scheme | ABCCB DEDAE FGFFG XHXAH IJIIJ KLXKL MNMMN OPOOP QRQQR STSXT UUU |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 10110101 010111 010111 11010101 111101 11110101 001101 11010101 1111011 110101 111111 010101 11010111 11011101 111101 10010111 111101 11111101 0111011 011111 11110111 010111 11011111 11101111 111101 0101110101 110001 01011101 11010111 01111 0111101 011101 01000101 11011111 011101 11110111 011111 111100001 11010101 01111 01110111 111101 11110111 11010101 011101 01111101 011101 1110101 01010111 111101 1101110101 1111010111 1101011111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,778 |
Words | 319 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 3 |
Lines Amount | 53 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 120 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 29 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:39 min read
- 48 Views
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