Analysis of They May Rail at this Life
Thomas Moore 1779 (Dublin) – 1852 (Bromham)
They may rail at this life -- from the hour I began it
I found it a life full of kindness and bliss;
And, until they can show me some happier planet,
More social and bright, I'll content me with this.
As long as the world has such lips and such eyes
As before me this moment enraptured I see,
They may say what they will of their orbs in the skies,
But this earth is the planet for you, love, and me.
In Mercury's star, where each moment can bring them
New sunshine and wit from the fountain on high,
Though the nymphs may have livelier poets to sing them,
They've none, even there, more enamour'd than I.
And, as long as this harp can be waken'd to love,
And that eye its divine inspiration shall be,
They may talk as they will of their Edens above,
But this earth is the planet for you, love, and me.
In that star of the west, by whose shadowy splendour,
At twilight so often we've roam'd through the dew,
There are maidens, perhaps, who have bosoms as tender,
And look, in their twilights, as lovely as you.
But though they were even more bright than the queen
Of that Isle they inhabit in heaven's blue sea,
As I never those fair young celestials have seen,
Why -- this earth is the planet for you, love, and me.
As for those chilly orbs on the verge of creation,
Where sunshine and smiles must be equally rare,
Did they want a supply of cold hearts for that station,
Heaven knows we have plenty on earth we could spare,
Oh! think what a world we should have of it here,
If the haters of peace, of affection and glee,
Were to fly up to Saturn's comfortless sphere,
And leave earth to such spirits as you, love, and me.
Scheme | xaxabcbC dedefcfC ghghicic jgjggcgc |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11111110101011 11101111001 0011111110010 11001110111 11101111011 101111001011 111111111001 111101011101 010011110111 1101101011 1011110010111 111011111 01111111111 01110101011 111111111001 111101011101 011101111001 1111011101 111001111110 0101111011 11101011101 111101001011 1110111111 111101011101 1111011011010 1101111001 1110011111110 101111011111 11101111111 101011101001 011111011 011111011101 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,630 |
Words | 316 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 32 |
Letters per line (avg) | 39 |
Words per line (avg) | 10 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 312 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 79 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 18, 2023
- 1:37 min read
- 106 Views
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"They May Rail at this Life" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/36933/they-may-rail-at-this-life>.
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