Analysis of An April Fool Of Long Ago.
Jean Blewett 1862 (Janet McKishnie Scotia, Kent County, Ontario) – 1934 (Chatham)
In powdered wig and buckled shoe,
Knee-breeches, coat and waistcoat gay,
The wealthy squire rode forth to woo
Upon a first of April day.
He would forget his lofty birth,
His spreading acres, and his pride,
And Betty, fairest maid on earth,
Should be his own - his grateful bride.
The maid was young, and he was old;
The maid was good to look upon.
Naught cared she for his land or gold,
Her love was for the good squire's son.
He found her as the noonday hush
Lay on the world, and called her name.
She looked up, conscious, and her blush
A tender interest did proclaim.
For he was Hubert's sire, and she
To keep a secret tryst did go.
He said: "Methinks she cares for me" -
That April fool of long ago.
The flattered squire his suit did press
Without delay. "Say, wilt thou come,"
He said, with pompous tenderness,
"And share my wealth and grace my home?"
"Kind sir," the lovely Betty cried,
"I'm but a lass of low degree."
"The love that is controlled by pride
Is not true love at all," quoth he.
"I hold a man should woo and wed
Where'er he wills - should please himself."
"There is the barrier strong," she said,
"Of pedigree, and place, and pelf.
"Could one so lowly hope to grace
Your home?" Right proud his air and tone:
"You're pure of heart and fair of face;
Dear Betty, you would grace a throne!"
"Since you so highly think of me" -
Her tears and laughter were at strife -
"You will not mind so much, maybe,
That I am Hubert's promised wife."
Pale went the good squire's florid cheek,
His wrath flamed out - but Betty stood,
Brown-haired, red-lipped, blue-eyed and meek,
A sight to make a bad man good.
She won on him. "But why this guile -
This secrecy?" His voice was rough.
"We feared," she whispered, with a smile,
"You would not think me good enough."
"An April fool am I. Come, come -
My offer stands. As Hubert's wife,"
He laughed, "you'll share my wealth and home
And brighten up a lonely life."
He kissed her cheek and rode away.
Unbroken was his heart, I wist,
For he was thinking of a day -
A day back in youth's rosy mist -
And of a form and of a face.
"My dear, dead love," he whispered low,
The while he rode at sober pace,
That April fool of long ago.
Scheme | abab cdcd exex fgfg hihI xjxk dhdh lmlm nono hphp qrqr stst jpkp bubu ninI |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (87%) Etheree (28%) Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 01010101 111011 01011111 01011101 11011101 11010011 01010111 11111101 01110111 01111101 11111111 01110111 1101011 11010101 11110001 01010101 111101001 11010111 1111111 11011101 01011111 01011111 11110100 01110111 11010101 11011101 01110111 11111111 11011101 10111101 110100111 11000101 11110111 11111101 11110111 11011101 11110111 01010011 11111110 11110101 11011101 11111101 11111101 01110111 11111111 11001111 11110101 11111101 11011111 11011101 11111101 01010101 11010101 01011111 11110101 01101101 01010101 11111101 01111101 11011101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 2,159 |
Words | 449 |
Sentences | 28 |
Stanzas | 15 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 60 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 108 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 28 |
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Submitted on August 03, 2020
Modified on April 28, 2023
- 2:13 min read
- 6 Views
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"An April Fool Of Long Ago." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/55767/an-april-fool-of-long-ago.>.
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