Analysis of A Man Who Would Woo a Fair Maid
William Schwenck Gilbert 1836 – 1911
A man who would woo a fair maid,
Should 'prentice himself to the trade;
And study all day,
In methodical way,
How to flatter, cajole, and persuade.
He should 'prentice himself at fourteen
And practise from morning to e'en;
And when he's of age,
If he will, I'll engage,
He may capture the heart of a queen!
It is purely a matter of skill,
Which all may attain if they will:
But every Jack
He must study the knack
If he wants to make sure of his Jill!
If he's made the best use of his time,
His twig he'll so carefully lime
That every bird
Will come down at his word.
Whatever its plumage and clime.
He must learn that the thrill of a touch
May mean little, or nothing, or much;
It's an instrument rare,
To be handled with care,
And ought to be treated as such.
It is purely a matter of skill,
Which all may attain if they will:
But every Jack,
He must study the knack
If he wants to make sure of his Jill!
Then a glance may be timid or free;
It will vary in mighty degree,
From an impudent stare
To a look of despair
That no maid without pity can see.
And a glance of despair is no guide -
It may have its ridiculous side;
It may draw you a tear
Or a box on the ear;
You can never be sure till you've tried.
It is purely a matter of skill,
Which all may attain if they will:
But every Jack
He must study the knack
If he wants to make sure of his Jill!
Scheme | aabbacxddcEEFFE gghhgiijjiEEFFE kkjjklljxlEEFFE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (44%) |
Metre | 01111011 11001101 01011 001001 111001001 111001111 01110111 01111 111101 111001101 111001011 11101111 11001 111001 111111111 111011111 11111001 11001 111111 1011001 111101101 111011011 111001 111011 01111011 111001011 11101111 11001 111001 111111111 101111011 111001001 1111 101101 111011011 001101111 111101001 111101 101101 111011111 111001011 11101111 11001 111001 111111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,315 |
Words | 278 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 15, 15, 15 |
Lines Amount | 45 |
Letters per line (avg) | 23 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 343 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 92 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 20, 2023
- 1:25 min read
- 63 Views
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