Analysis of One Night

Constantine P. Cavafy 1863 (Alexandria) – 1933 (Alexandria)



The room was penurious and common,
Hidden over a disreputable tavern,
The alley could be seen from the window,
Unclean and narrow. From below
Came the voices of a few workmen
Who were playing cards and having a good time.

There on the vulgar on the humble bed
I had the body of love, I had the lips,
The sensuous, the rosy lips of wine,
Rosy with such a wine, that even now
Here as I write, after so many years,
In my solitary house, I am drunk again.


Scheme XXAAXX XXXXXX
Poetic Form
Metre 011100010 101000100010 0101111010 01010101 101010110 10101010011 1101010101 11010111101 0100010111 1011011101 1111101101 01100111101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 448
Words 91
Sentences 4
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 6, 6
Lines Amount 12
Letters per line (avg) 29
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 175
Words per stanza (avg) 45
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 22, 2023

27 sec read
105

Constantine P. Cavafy

Constantine P. Cavafy was a Greek poet who lived in Alexandria and worked as a journalist and civil servant. He published 154 poems; dozens more remained incomplete or in sketch form. His most important poetry was written after his fortieth birthday. more…

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