Analysis of The Witch Of Mull

Cicely Fox Smith 1882 (Lymm, Cheshire) – 1954 (Bow, Devon)



'Witch of Mull, the strangers here
Come to wreak their vengeance drear:
Call the wind and call the wrack;
Drown them, drive them, beat them back!'

Wind and wave are wild in Morvern.

'Gormla, speed! Their magic powers
Calm the deep and baffle ours:
Aid us, thou who know'st full well
Strongest brew and blackest spell!'

Wind and wave are wild in Morvern.

Magpies twelve upon the mast
Call aloud to wave and blast'
'Bonnily on Morvern shore
Shall we feast when all is o'er!'

Wind and wave are wild in Morvern.

Harried seaward, fast they flee
Wind and wrack and raging sea:
Hard and grey the rocks before, -
Hard their bed on Morvern shore!

Wind and wave are wild in Morvern.

Bonny dead men on the sand, -
Dead and drowned on Morvern strand, -
Broken mast and battered hull, -
Glad the witches are in Mull!

Wind and wave are wild in Morvern.


Scheme aabb C ddee C ffgx C hhgg C iijj C
Poetic Form
Metre 1110101 1111101 1010101 1111111 1011101 1111010 10101010 11111111 1010101 1011101 110101 1011101 1111 11111110 1011101 1010111 1010101 1010101 111111 1011101 1011101 101111 1010101 1010101 1011101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 822
Words 161
Sentences 12
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 4, 1, 4, 1, 4, 1, 4, 1, 4, 1
Lines Amount 25
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 65
Words per stanza (avg) 16
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

48 sec read
90

Cicely Fox Smith

Cicely Fox Smith (1 February 1882 – 8 April 1954) was an English poet and writer. Born in Lymm, Cheshire and educated at Manchester High School for Girls, she briefly lived in Canada, before returning to the United Kingdom shortly before the outbreak of World War I. She settled in Hampshire and began writing poetry, often with a nautical theme. Smith wrote over 600 poems in her life, for a wide range of publications. In later life, she expanded her writing to a number of subjects, fiction and non-fiction. For her services to literature, the British Government awarded her a small pension. more…

All Cicely Fox Smith poems | Cicely Fox Smith Books

0 fans

Discuss this Cicely Fox Smith poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Witch Of Mull" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/42768/the-witch-of-mull>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    7
    days
    4
    hours
    42
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    How many syllables an Iambic Pentameter line must have?
    A 20
    B 12
    C 10
    D 3