Analysis of Elegy VI. To a Lady, On the Language of Birds
William Shenstone 1714 (Halesowen) – 1763 (Halesowen)
Come then, Dione, let us range the grove,
The science of the feather'd choirs explore
Hear linnets argue, larks descant of love,
And blame the gloom of solitude, no more.
My doubt subsides-'tis no Italian song,
Nor senseless ditty, cheers the vernal tree:
Ah! who that hears Dione's tuneful tongue,
Shall doubt that music may with sense agree?
And come, my Muse! that lov'st the sylvan shade,
Evolve the mazes, and the mist dispel;
Translate the song; convince my doubting maid
No solemn dervise can explain so well-
Pensive beneath the twilight shades I sate,
The slave of hopeless vows and cold disdain!
When Philomel address'd his mournful mate,
And thus I construed the mellifluent strain.
'Sing on, my bird!-the liquid notes prolong;
At every note a lover sheds his tear;
Sing on, my bird!-'tis Damon hears thy song,
Nor doubt to gain applause, when lovers hear.
'He the sad source of our complaining knows!
A foe to Tereus, and to lawless love!
He mourns the story of our ancient woes;
Ah! could our music his complaints remove!
'Yon plains are govern'd by a peerless maid;
And see! pale Cynthia mounts the vaulted sky;
A train of lovers court the chequer'd shade:
Sing on, my bird! and hear thy mate's reply.
'Erewhile no shepherd to these woods retired,
No lover bless'd the glow-worm's pallid ray;
But ill-starr'd birds, that, listening, not admired;
Or, listening, envied our superior lay.
'Cheer'd by the sun, the vassals of his power,
Let such by day unite their jarring strains!
But let us choose the calm; the silent hour,
Nor want fit audience while Dione reigns.'
Scheme | XABA CDXD EFEF GHGH CXCX IBIX EJEJ XKXK LMLM |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (78%) |
Metre | 111011101 0101010101 11101111 010111011 1101110101 1101010101 11111101 1111011101 0111110101 0101000101 0101011101 110110111 100101111 0111010101 11011101 01101011 1111010101 11001010111 1111110111 1111011101 10111100101 011101101 11010110101 11101010101 1111010101 01110010101 011101011 1111011101 111011101 1101011101 111111001010 1100101001001 11010101110 111111101 11110101010 1111001101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,552 |
Words | 276 |
Sentences | 20 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 36 |
Letters per line (avg) | 34 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 136 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 30 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:26 min read
- 99 Views
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