Analysis of Anticipation.
Emily Bronte 1818 (Thornton, West Yorkshire) – 1848 (Haworth)
How beautiful the earth is still,
To thee, how full of happiness?
How little fraught with real ill,
Or unreal phantoms of distress!
How spring can bring thee glory, yet,
And summer win thee to forget
December's sullen time!
Why dost thou hold the treasure fast,
Of youth's delight, when youth is past,
And thou art near thy prime?
When those who were thy own compeers,
Equals in fortune and in years,
Have seen their morning melt in tears,
To clouded, smileless day;
Blest, had they died untried and young,
Before their hearts went wandering wrong,
Poor slaves, subdued by passions strong,
A weak and helpless prey!
'Because, I hoped while they enjoyed,
And by fulfilment, hope destroyed;
As children hope, with trustful breast,
I waited bliss, and cherished rest.
A thoughtful spirit taught me soon,
That we must long till life be done;
That every phase of earthly joy
Must always fade, and always cloy:
'This I foresaw, and would not chase
The fleeting treacheries;
But, with firm foot and tranquil face,
Held backward from that tempting race,
Gazed o'er the sands the waves efface,
To the enduring seas,
There cast my anchor of desire
Deep in unknown eternity;
Nor ever let my spirit tire,
With looking for WHAT IS TO BE!
"It is hope's spell that glorifies,
Like youth, to my maturer eyes,
All Nature's million mysteries,
The fearful and the fair,
Hope soothes me in the griefs I know;
She lulls my pain for others' woe,
And makes me strong to undergo
What I am born to bear.
Glad comforter! will I not brave,
Unawed, the darkness of the grave?
Nay, smile to hear Death's billows rave,
Sustained, my guide, by thee?
The more unjust seems present fate,
The more my spirit swells elate,
Strong, in thy strength, to anticipate
Rewarding destiny!
Scheme | ABAXCCDEED BXXFXGGF HHIIXXJJ KBKKKLMNMN OOLPQQQP RRRNSSSN |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11000111 11111100 1101111 10110101 11111101 01011101 010101 11110101 11011111 011111 1110111 10010001 11110101 11011 11110101 011111001 11011101 010101 01111101 011101 1101111 11010101 01010111 11111111 110011101 111011 1110111 0101 11110101 11011101 110010101 100101 111101010 10010100 110111010 11011111 1111110 111111 11010100 010001 11100111 11111101 0111101 111111 11001111 1010101 11111101 011111 01011101 01110101 10111010 010100 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,709 |
Words | 310 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 10, 8, 8, 10, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 52 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 227 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 51 |
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Submitted on August 03, 2020
Modified on March 17, 2023
- 1:34 min read
- 56 Views
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"Anticipation." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/55133/anticipation.>.
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