Analysis of Calvin Campbell

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



Ye who are kicking against Fate,
Tell me how it is that on this hill-side,
Running down to the river,
Which fronts the sun and the south-wind,
This plant draws from the air and soil
Poison and becomes poison ivy?
And this plant draws from the same air and soil
Sweet elixirs and colors and becomes arbutus?
And both flourish?
You may blame Spoon River for what it is,
But whom do you blame for the will in you
That feeds itself and makes you dock-weed,
Jimpson, dandelion or mullen
And which can never use any soil or air
So as to make you jessamine or wistaria?


Scheme ABCDEFEGHGIJKLC
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 11110011 1111111111 1011010 11010011 11110101 100011010 0111101101 110100011 0110 1111101111 1111110101 110101111 1100110 01110110111 1111110011
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 556
Words 109
Sentences 5
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 15
Lines Amount 15
Letters per line (avg) 29
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 442
Words per stanza (avg) 107
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

32 sec read
106

Edgar Lee Masters

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

All Edgar Lee Masters poems | Edgar Lee Masters Books

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