Analysis of A Dream

William Blake 1757 (Soho) – 1827 (London)



Once a dream did weave a shade
 O'er my angel-guarded bed,
 That an emmet lost its way
 Where on grass methought I lay.

Troubled, wildered, and forlorn,
 Dark, benighted, travel-worn,
 Over many a tangle spray,
 All heart-broke, I heard her say:

'Oh my children! do they cry,
 Do they hear their father sigh?
 Now they look abroad to see,
 Now return and weep for me.'

Pitying, I dropped a tear:
 But I saw a glow-worm near,
 Who replied, 'What wailing wight
 Calls the watchman of the night?

'I am set to light the ground,
 While the beetle goes his round:
 Follow now the beetle's hum;
 Little wanderer, hie thee home!'


Scheme XXAA BBAA CCDD XXEE FFXX
Poetic Form Etheree  (40%)
Quatrain  (40%)
Metre 1011101 10110101 1110111 111111 101001 1010101 10100101 1111101 1110111 1111101 1110111 1010111 1001101 1110111 1011101 1010101 1111101 1010111 101011 10100111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 618
Words 114
Sentences 7
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 92
Words per stanza (avg) 22
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 01, 2023

34 sec read
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William Blake

William Blake was an English poet, painter and printmaker. more…

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    William Blake: "Tiger Tiger, burning bright, In the forests of the _________".
    A night
    B fight
    C bites
    D knight