Analysis of To the Fair Clarinda
Aphra Behn 1640 – 1689
Fair lovely Maid, or if that Title be
Too weak, too Feminine for Nobler thee,
Permit a Name that more Approaches Truth:
And let me call thee, Lovely Charming Youth.
This last will justifie my soft complaint,
While that may serve to lessen my constraint;
And without Blushes I the Youth persue,
When so much beauteous Woman is in view.
Against thy Charms we struggle but in vain
With thy deluding Form thou giv'st us pain,
While the bright Nymph betrays us to the Swain.
In pity to our Sex sure thou wer't sent,
That we might Love, and yet be Innocent:
For sure no Crime with thee we can commit;
Or if we shou'd - thy Form excuses it.
For who, that gathers fairest Flowers believes
A Snake lies hid beneath the Fragrant Leaves.
Though beauteous Wonder of a different kind,
Soft Cloris with the dear Alexis join'd;
When e'er the Manly part of thee, wou'd plead
Though tempts us with the Image of the Maid,
While we the noblest Passions do extend
The Love to Hermes, Aphrodite the Friend.v
Scheme | AABBCCDEFFFXXGGDD XXXXXE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101111101 1111001101 0101110101 0111110101 11111101 1111110101 001101011 111110101 0111110101 1101011111 1011011101 01011011111 1111011100 1111111101 1111110101 11110101001 0111010101 1110101001 111010101 11001011111 1111010101 1101010101 0111001001 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 972 |
Words | 184 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 17, 6 |
Lines Amount | 23 |
Letters per line (avg) | 34 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 387 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 91 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 27, 2023
- 57 sec read
- 209 Views
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