Analysis of I Sometimes Think

Thomas Hardy 1840 (Stinsford) – 1928 (Dorchester, Dorset)



For F. E. H.

I sometimes think as here I sit
Of things I have done,
Which seemed in doing not unfit
To face the sun:
Yet never a soul has paused a whit
On such-not one.

There was that eager strenuous press
To sow good seed;
There was that saving from distress
In the nick of need;
There were those words in the wilderness:
Who cared to heed?

Yet can this be full true, or no?
For one did care,
And, spiriting into my house, to, fro,
Like wind on the stair,
Cares still, heeds all, and will, even though
I may despair.


Scheme X ABABAB CDCDXD EFEFEF
Poetic Form
Metre 1111 10111111 11111 11010101 1101 110011101 1111 111101001 1111 11110101 00111 101100100 1111 11111111 1111 01011111 11101 111101101 1101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 507
Words 106
Sentences 8
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 1, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 19
Letters per line (avg) 21
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 98
Words per stanza (avg) 26
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

31 sec read
131

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy, was not a Scottish Minister, not a Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland nor a Professor of Eccesiastical History at Edinburgh University. more…

All Thomas Hardy poems | Thomas Hardy Books

11 fans

Discuss this Thomas Hardy poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "I Sometimes Think" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/36401/i-sometimes-think>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    29
    days
    4
    hours
    9
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not _______ both
    A travel
    B see
    C choose
    D follow