Analysis of Mater Dolorosa

William Barnes 1801 (Bagber) – 1886



I'D a dream to-night
   As I fell asleep,
O! the touching sight
   Makes me still to weep:
Of my little lad,
Gone to leave me sad,
Ay, the child I had,
   But was not to keep.

As in heaven high,
   I my child did seek,
There in train came by
   Children fair and meek,
Each in lily white,
With a lamp alight;
Each was clear to sight,
   But they did not speak.

Then, a little sad,
Came my child in turn,
But the lamp he had,
   O it did not burn!
He, to clear my doubt,
Said, half turn'd about,
'Your tears put it out;
   Mother, never mourn.'


Scheme ABABCCCB DEDEAAAE CFCFGGGX
Poetic Form
Metre 10111 11101 10101 11111 11101 11111 10111 11111 10101 11111 10111 10101 10101 10101 11111 11111 10101 11101 10111 11111 11111 11101 11111 10101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 551
Words 111
Sentences 6
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 16
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 127
Words per stanza (avg) 36
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
88

William Barnes

William Barnes, Barne, Barneis or Berners, of Thoby, Essex, was an English politician. more…

All William Barnes poems | William Barnes Books

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