Analysis of Epistle to Mrs. Tyler
Christopher Smart 1722 (Shipbourne) – 1771 (King's Bench Prison)
It ever was allow'd, dear Madam,
Ev'n from the days of father Adam,
Of all perfection flesh is heir to,
Fair patience is the gentlest virtue;
This is a truth our grandames teach,
Our poets sing, and parsons preach;
Yet after all, dear Moll, the fact is
We seldom put it into practice;
I'll warrant (if one knew the truth)
You've call'd me many an idle youth,
And styl'd me rude ungrateful bear,
Enough to make a parson swear.
I shall not make a long oration
in order for my vindication,
For what the plague can I say more
Than lazy dogs have done before;
Such stuff is naught but mere tautology,
And so take that for my apology.
First then for custards, my dear Mary,
The produce of your dainty dairy,
For stew'd, for bak'd, for boil'd, for roast,
And all the teas and all the toast;
With thankful tongue and bowing attitude,
I here present you with my gratitude:
Next for you apples, pears, and plums
Acknowledgment in order comes;
For wine, for ale, for fowl, for fish--for
Ev'n all one's appetite can wish for:
But O ye pens and O ye pencils,
And all ye scribbling utensils,
Say in what words and in what meter,
Shall unfeign'd admiration greet her,
For that rich banquet so refin'd
Her conversation gave the mind;
The solid meal of sense and worth,
Set off by the desert of mirth;
Wit's fruit and pleasure's genial bowl,
And all the joyous flow of soul;
For these, and every kind ingredient
That form'd your love--your most obedient.
Scheme | AABBCCXXDDEE FFGGHH IIJJKKLLGGMMNNOOPPQQRR |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) Etheree (20%) |
Metre | 110101110 1110111010 110101111 1101010010 11011011 101010101 110111011 110110110 11011101 111101101 01110101 01110101 111101010 010110010 11011111 11011101 1111111 0111110100 11111110 001111010 11111111 01010101 110101010 111011110 11110101 01000101 111111111 111110111 111101110 011100010 101100110 1101010 11110101 0010101 01011101 11101011 1101101 01010111 11010010100 1111110100 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,445 |
Words | 265 |
Sentences | 4 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 12, 6, 22 |
Lines Amount | 40 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 369 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 88 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 09, 2023
- 1:24 min read
- 53 Views
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"Epistle to Mrs. Tyler" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/6098/epistle-to-mrs.-tyler>.
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