Analysis of The Faithless Shepherdess
William Byrd 1539 – 1623
WHILE that the sun with his beams hot
Scorched the fruits in vale and mountain,
Philon the shepherd, late forgot,
Sitting beside a crystal fountain
In shadow of a green oak tree,
Upon his pipe this song play'd he:
Adieu, Love, adieu, Love, untrue Love!
Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu, Love!
Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.
So long as I was in your sight
I was your heart, your soul, your treasure;
And evermore you sobb'd and sigh'd
Burning in flames beyond all measure:
--Three days endured your love to me,
And it was lost in other three!
Adieu, Love, adieu, Love, untrue Love!
Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu, Love!
Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.
Another shepherd you did see,
To whom your heart was soon enchained;
Full soon your love was leapt from me,
Full soon my place he had obtained.
Soon came a third your love to win,
And we were out and he was in.
Adieu, Love, adieu, Love, untrue Love!
Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu, Love!
Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.
Sure you have made me passing glad
That you your mind so soon removed,
Before that I the leisure had
To choose you for my best beloved:
For all my love was pass'd and done
Two days before it was begun.
Adieu, Love, adieu, Love, untrue Love!
Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu, Love!
Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.
CRABB'D Age and Youth
Cannot live together:
Youth is full of pleasance,
Age is full of care;
Youth like summer morn,
Age like winter weather;
Youth like summer brave,
Age like winter bare.
Youth is full of sport,
Age's breath is short;
Youth is nimble, Age is lame;
Youth is hot and bold,
Age is weak and cold;
Youth is wild, and Age is tame.
Age, I do abhor thee;
Youth, I do adore thee;
O, my Love, my Love is young!
Age, I do defy thee:
O, sweet shepherd, hie thee!
For methinks thou stay'st too long.
Scheme | ababccDDD xexeccDDD cacxffDDD gxgxbbDDD xexhxexhiijkkjccxccx |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11011111 10101010 10010101 100101010 0110111 01111111 011011011 011011011 111111111 11111011 111111110 0101101 100101110 11011111 01110101 011011011 011011011 111111111 01010111 1111111 11111111 11111101 11011111 01010110 011011011 011011011 111111111 11111101 11111101 01110101 11111101 11111101 11011101 011011011 011011011 111111111 1101 101010 11111 11111 11101 111010 11101 11101 11111 10111 1110111 11101 11101 1110111 111011 111011 1111111 111011 111011 1111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,893 |
Words | 349 |
Sentences | 22 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 9, 9, 9, 9, 20 |
Lines Amount | 56 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 278 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 69 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:46 min read
- 93 Views
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"The Faithless Shepherdess" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 16 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/39633/the-faithless-shepherdess>.
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