Analysis of Tempora Mutantur
William Schwenck Gilbert 1836 – 1911
Letters, letters, letters, letters!
Some that please and some that bore,
Some that threaten prison fetters
(Metaphorically, fetters
Such as bind insolvent debtors) -
Invitations by the score.
One from COGSON, WILES, and RAILER,
My attorneys, off the Strand;
One from COPPERBLOCK, my tailor -
My unreasonable tailor -
One in FLAGG'S disgusting hand.
One from EPHRAIM and MOSES,
Wanting coin without a doubt,
I should like to pull their noses -
Their uncompromising noses;
One from ALICE with the roses -
Ah, I know what that's about!
Time was when I waited, waited
For the missives that she wrote,
Humble postmen execrated -
Loudly, deeply execrated -
When I heard I wasn't fated
To be gladdened with a note!
Time was when I'd not have bartered
Of her little pen a dip
For a peerage duly gartered -
For a peerage starred and gartered -
With a palace-office chartered,
Or a Secretaryship.
But the time for that is over,
And I wish we'd never met.
I'm afraid I've proved a rover -
I'm afraid a heartless rover -
Quarters in a place like Dover
Tend to make a man forget.
Bills for carriages and horses,
Bills for wine and light cigar,
Matters that concern the Forces -
News that may affect the Forces -
News affecting my resources,
Much more interesting are!
And the tiny little paper,
With the words that seem to run
From her little fingers taper
(They are very small and taper),
By the tailor and the draper
Are in interest outdone.
And unopened it's remaining!
I can read her gentle hope -
Her entreaties, uncomplaining
(She was always uncomplaining),
Her devotion never waning -
Through the little envelope!
Scheme | ABAAAB BCDDC XEFFFE XGCCXG HICCHI DJDDDJ XKFFFK DLDDDL MNMMMN |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 10101010 1110111 11101010 010010 11101010 010101 111101 1010101 111110 1010010 1010101 1110010 1010101 11111110 10100010 11101010 1111101 11111010 101111 1011 10101 11111010 111101 11111110 1010101 1010101 1010101 10101010 101 10111110 0111101 10111010 10101010 10001110 1110101 11100010 1110101 10101010 11101010 10101100 111001 00101010 1011111 10101010 11101010 10100010 101011 00101010 1110101 00101 1111 00101010 101010 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,563 |
Words | 285 |
Sentences | 13 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 53 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 139 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 31 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:28 min read
- 42 Views
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"Tempora Mutantur" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/41269/tempora-mutantur>.
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