Analysis of Had You Wept
Thomas Hardy 1840 (Stinsford) – 1928 (Dorchester, Dorset)
Had you wept; had you but neared me with a frail uncertain ray,
Dewy as the face of the dawn, in your large and luminous eye,
Then would have come back all the joys the tidings had slain that day,
And a new beginning, a fresh fair heaven, have smoothed the things awry.
But you were less feebly human, and no passionate need for clinging
Possessed your soul to overthrow reserve when I came near;
Ay, though you suffer as much as I from storms the hours are bringing
Upon your heart and mine, I never see you shed a tear.
The deep strong woman is weakest, the weak one is the strong;
The weapon of all weapons best for winning, you have not used;
Have you never been able, or would you not, through the evil times and long?
Has not the gift been given you, or such gift have you refused?
When I bade me not absolve you on that evening or the morrow,
Why did you not make war on me with those who weep like rain?
You felt too much, so gained no balm for all your torrid sorrow,
And hence our deep division, and our dark undying pain.
Scheme | ABABCXCX DEDEFGFG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111111111010101 1010110101101001 111111010101111 00101001110110101 11011010011001110 0111110011111 11110111111010110 01110111011101 01110110011101 010111011101111 111011011111010101 110111011111101 1111101111101010 11111111111111 111111111111010 0110101001010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic octameter |
Characters | 1,025 |
Words | 205 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 16 |
Letters per line (avg) | 50 |
Words per line (avg) | 13 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 401 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 102 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 17, 2023
- 1:01 min read
- 246 Views
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