Analysis of Lines on Curran's Picture
Letitia Elizabeth Landon 1802 (Chelsea) – 1838 (Cape Coast)
Oh ! is it not a gallant sight to mark
A little vessel breast the stormy sea,
With sails triumphant swelling to the wind ?
Dashing the waters from her side in scorn,
She cleaves the ocean, and, with arrowy prow.
Scattering the snowy foam, a sparkling shower,
And leaving a bright track behind, in sign
Of victory. Our human pride delights
In such a triumph over wind and wave,
Because she knows 'tis not the plank and sail
But human mind that holds the mastery.
The canvass has been spread by human hand,
And human hand it is that guides the helm.
Methinks with nobler triumph we should mark
Some gallant spirit through the sea of life
Shape its successful course. Sustained, impelled
By energy unconquerable within,
A life like Curran's has enough to make
Humanity ashamed and proud. 'Tis strange
To think what toil is wasted upon some,
How ancient scrolls unfold their precious store,
The learned folio yields its silver clasp,
The modern page marks out its easy way
Some learned man to aid, assist, explain,
And all to prove some fool is also dunce.
Now watch the progress of a nobler mind :
It has no aid, except from obstacles
To conquer which invigorates : learned wealth
As much debarred as golden ; every step
Made difficult by want of help ; and books
Things more of a desire than of a hope.
And yet that boy will rise into a man.
The honoured of his country, and will leave
A name imperishable as the soul.
And such was Curran ; 'twas a glorious sight
To see him when his soul was on its spring,
Gifted with all the mighty strength of words,
Wit from his lip, and lightning from his eye,
Flashing together—scorn enthroned on power—
I'd rather have such stirring life as theirs,
Who make their own way, and delight to make,
Win wealth and honour by their own bright mind,
Whose destiny is in itself—than bear
The noblest name that ever belted Earl
Left honoured to his son—
Scheme | Text too long |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111010111 0101010101 1101010101 1001010101 110100111 100010101010 0100110101 11001010101 0101010101 0111110101 1101110100 0101111101 0101111101 111010111 1101010111 1101010101 1100101 011110111 0100010111 1111110011 1101011101 01111101 0101111101 111110101 0111111101 110110101 1111011100 1101111 1111101001 1100111101 11100101101 0111110101 011110011 011101 01110101001 1111111111 1011010111 1111010111 1001011110 1101110111 1111100111 110111111 1100100111 0101110101 11111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,846 |
Words | 338 |
Sentences | 13 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 45 |
Lines Amount | 45 |
Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 1,485 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 345 |
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"Lines on Curran's Picture" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/44913/lines-on-curran%27s-picture>.
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