Analysis of The House of Life: 22. Heart's Haven

Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1828 (London) – 1882 (Birchington-on-Sea)



Sometimes she is a child within mine arms,
        Cowering beneath dark wings that love must chase,--
        With still tears showering and averted face,
    Inexplicably fill'd with faint alarms:
    And oft from mine own spirit's hurtling harms
        I crave the refuge of her deep embrace,--
        Against all ills the fortified strong place
    And sweet reserve of sovereign counter-charms.

And Love, our light at night and shade at noon,
      Lulls us to rest with songs, and turns away
      All shafts of shelterless tumultuous day.
  Like the moon's growth, his face gleams through his tune;
  And as soft waters warble to the moon,
      Our answering spirits chime one roundelay.


Scheme ABBAABBA CDDCCX
Poetic Form
Metre 0111010111 10001111111 11110000101 010011101 0111110101 1101010101 011101011 0101110101 01101110111 1111110101 11111001 1011111111 0111010101 1010010111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 696
Words 110
Sentences 4
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 36
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 252
Words per stanza (avg) 53
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 27, 2023

33 sec read
132

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Dante Gabriel Rossetti was an English poet, illustrator, painter and translator. more…

All Dante Gabriel Rossetti poems | Dante Gabriel Rossetti Books

1 fan

Discuss this Dante Gabriel Rossetti poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The House of Life: 22. Heart's Haven" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/7733/the-house-of-life%3A-22.-heart%27s-haven>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    0
    days
    20
    hours
    56
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    How many sonnets did William Shakespeare wrote during his life?
    A 101
    B 2
    C 5
    D 154