Analysis of Epilogue - To the Tragedy of Cleone
William Shenstone 1714 (Halesowen) – 1763 (Halesowen)
Well, Ladies-so much for the tragic style-
And now the custom is to make you smile.
To make us smile!-methinks I hear you say-
Why, who can help it, at so strange a play?
The captain gone three years!-and then to blame
The faultless conduct of his virtuous dame!
My stars! what gentle belle would think it treason,
When thus provoked, to give the brute some reason?
Out of my house!-this night, forsooth, depart!
A modern wife had said-'With all my heart-
But think not, haughty Sir, I'll go alone;
Order your coach-conduct me safe to Town-
Give me my jewels, wardrobe, and my maid-
And pray take care my pin-money be paid.'
Such is the language of each modish fair;
Yet memoirs, not of modern growth, declare
The time has been, when modesty and truth
Were deem'd additions to the charms of youth;
When women hid their necks, and veil'd their faces,
Nor romp'd, nor raked, nor stared at public places,
Nor took the airs of Amazons for graces:
Then plain domestic virtues were the mode,
And wives ne'er dreamt of happiness abroad;
They loved their children, learnt no flaunting airs,
But with the joys of wedlock mix'd the cares.
Those times are past-yet sure they merit praise,
For marriage triumph'd in those golden days;
By chaste decorum they affection gain'd;
By faith and fondness, what they won, maintain'd.
'Tis yours, Ye Fair! to bring those days again,
And form anew the hearts of thoughtless men;
Make beauty's lustre amiable as bright,
And give the soul, as well as sense, delight;
Reclaim from folly a fantastic age,
That scorns the press, the pulpit, and the stage.
Let truth and tenderness your breasts adorn,
The marriage chain with transport shall be worn;
Each blooming virgin, raised into a bride,
Shall double all their joys, their cares divide;
Alleviate grief, compose the jars of strife,
And pour the balm that sweetens human life.
Scheme | AABBCCDDEEFGHHIIJJKKLMNOOPPQQRRSSTTUUVVWW |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101110101 0101011111 111111111 1111111101 0101110111 0101111001 11110111110 11011101110 111111101 0101111111 1111011101 1011011111 111101011 0111111011 110101111 111110101 0111110001 0101010111 11011101110 11111111010 1101110110 1101010001 0111110001 1111011101 110111101 1111111101 1101001101 1101010101 1101011101 1111111101 0101011101 1110100011 0101111101 0111000101 1101010001 1101001101 0101101111 1101010101 1101111101 0101010111 0101110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,821 |
Words | 328 |
Sentences | 16 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 41 |
Lines Amount | 41 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 1,441 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 322 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:41 min read
- 59 Views
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