Analysis of Friar Anselmo.
Horatio Alger Jr 1832 ( Chelsea, Massachusetts)
Friar Anselmo (God's grace may he win!)
Committed one sad day a deadly sin;
Which being done he drew back, self-abhorred,
From the rebuking presence of the Lord,
And, kneeling down, besought, with bitter cry,
Since life was worthless grown, that he might die.
All night he knelt, and, when the morning broke,
In patience still he waits death's fatal stroke.
When all at once a cry of sharp distress
Aroused Anselmo from his wretchedness;
And, looking from the convent window high,
He saw a wounded traveller gasping lie
Just underneath, who, bruised and stricken sore,
Had crawled for aid unto the convent door.
The friar's heart with deep compassion stirred,
When the poor wretch's groans for help were heard
With gentle hands, and touched with love divine,
He bathed his wounds, and poured in oil and wine.
With tender foresight cared for all his needs,--
A blessed ministry of noble deeds.
In such devotion passed seven days. At length
The poor wayfarer gained his wonted strength.
With grateful thanks he left the convent walls,
And once again on death Anselmo calls.
When, lo! his cell was filled with sudden light,
And on the wall he saw an angel write,
(An angel in whose likeness he could trace,
More noble grown, the traveller's form and face),
"Courage, Anselmo, though thy sin be great,
God grants thee life that thou may'st expiate.
"Thy guilty stains shall be washed white again,
By noble service done thy fellow-men.
"His soul draws nearest unto God above,
Who to his brother ministers in love."
Meekly Anselmo rose, and, after prayer,
His soul was lightened of its past despair.
Henceforth he strove, obeying God's high will,
His heaven-appointed mission to fulfil.
And many a soul, oppressed with pain and grief,
Owed to the friar solace and relief.
Scheme | AA BB CC DD EE CC FF GG HH II JJ KK LL MM NN OO PP QQ RR SS |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Couplet |
Metre | 1001011111 0101110101 1101111101 1001010101 010111101 1111011111 1111010101 0101111101 1111011101 01010111 0101010101 11010100101 101110101 1111100101 011110101 101111101 1101011101 1111010101 110111111 011001101 01010110111 0111111 1101110101 0101110101 1111111101 0101111101 1100110111 110101101 1001011111 1111111110 1101111101 1101011101 1111010101 1111010001 1001010101 1111011101 1111010111 1100101011 01001011101 1101010001 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,783 |
Words | 323 |
Sentences | 16 |
Stanzas | 20 |
Stanza Lengths | 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 |
Lines Amount | 40 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 69 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 15 |
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Submitted on August 03, 2020
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:38 min read
- 3 Views
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"Friar Anselmo." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/55626/friar-anselmo.>.
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