Analysis of The Three Enemies

Christina Georgina Rossetti 1830 (London) – 1894 (London)



"Sweet, thou art pale."
         "More pale to see,
     Christ hung upon the cruel tree
     And bore His Father's wrath for me."

"Sweet, thou art sad."
         "Beneath a rod
     More heavy, Christ for my sake trod
     The winepress of the wrath of God."

"Sweet, thou art weary."
       "Not so Christ:
   Whose mighty love of me suffic'd
   For Strength, Salvation, Eucharist."

"Sweet, thou art footsore."
       "If I bleed,
   His feet have bled; yea in my need
   His Heart once bled for mine indeed."

"Sweet, thou art young."
       "So He was young
   Who for my sake in silence hung
   Upon the Cross with Passion wrung."

"Look, thou art fair."
       "He was more fair
   Than men, Who deign'd for me to wear
   A visage marr'd beyond compare."

"And thou hast riches."
       "Daily bread:
   All else is His: Who, living, dead,
   For me lack'd where to lay His Head."

"And life is sweet."
       "It was not so
   To Him, Whose Cup did overflow
   With mine unutterable woe."

"Thou drinkest deep."
       "When Christ would sup
   He drain'd the dregs from out my cup:
   So how should I be lifted up?"

"Thou shalt win Glory."
       "In the skies,
   Lord Jesus, cover up mine eyes
   Lest they should look on vanities."

"Thou shalt have Knowledge."
       "Helpless dust!
   In Thee, O Lord, I put my trust:
   Answer Thou for me, Wise and Just."

"And Might."--
       "Get thee behind me. Lord,
   Who hast redeem'd and not abhorr'd
   My soul, oh keep it by Thy Word."


Scheme XAAA XBBB ACCD EFFF GGGG EEEE XHHH XIII XJJJ AKKX XDDD XLLX
Poetic Form
Metre 1111 1111 11010101 01110111 1111 0101 11011111 0110111 11110 111 11011101 11010100 1111 111 11111011 11111101 1111 1111 11110101 01011101 1111 1111 11111111 01010101 01110 101 11111101 11111111 0111 1111 1111110 1111 111 1111 11011111 11111101 11110 001 11010111 11111100 11110 101 01111111 10111101 01 110111 11010101 11111111
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,517
Words 277
Sentences 27
Stanzas 12
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 48
Letters per line (avg) 20
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 80
Words per stanza (avg) 20
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:18 min read
124

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Christina Georgina Rossetti was an English poet who wrote various romantic, devotional, and children's poems. "Goblin Market" and "Remember" remain famous. She wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in the UK: "In the Bleak Midwinter", later set by Gustav Holst and by Harold Darke, and "Love Came Down at Christmas", set by Harold Darke and by other composers. more…

All Christina Georgina Rossetti poems | Christina Georgina Rossetti Books

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