Analysis of Batterson Dobyns

Edgar Lee Masters 1868 (Garnett) – 1950 (Elkins Park)



Did my widow flit about
From Mackinac to Los Angeles,
Resting and bathing and sitting an hour
Or more at the table over soup and meats
And delicate sweets and coffee?
I was cut down in my prime
From overwork and anxiety.
But I thought all along, whatever happens
I've kept my insurance up,
And there's something in the bank,
And a section of land in Manitoba.
But just as I slipped I had a vision
In a last delirium:
I saw myself lying nailed in a box
With a white lawn tie and a boutonnière,
And my wife was sitting by a window
Some place afar overlooking the sea;
She seemed so rested, ruddy and fat,
Although her hair was white.
And she smiled and said to a colored waiter:
"Another slice of roast beef, George.
Here's a nickel for your trouble."


Scheme ABCDEFEGHIJKLMNOEPQCRS
Poetic Form
Metre 1110101 1111100 10010010110 11101010101 01001010 1111011 10100100 1111011010 1110101 0110001 0010110010 1111111010 0010100 111101001 101110011 0111101010 110110001 111101001 10111 01101101010 01011111 10101110
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 737
Words 146
Sentences 7
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 22
Lines Amount 22
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 584
Words per stanza (avg) 143
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

44 sec read
56

Edgar Lee Masters

Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, biographer, and dramatist. more…

All Edgar Lee Masters poems | Edgar Lee Masters Books

2 fans

Discuss this Edgar Lee Masters poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Batterson Dobyns" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/8519/batterson-dobyns>.

    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.
    1
    day
    7
    hours
    22
    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?

    »
    In what year did Alexander Pope wrote "Farewell to London"?
    A 1690
    B 1744
    C 1715
    D 1725