Analysis of The River



what is the river
flowing within us
flowing within us, flowing within

what is the river
heart does not know it
heart does not know it, heart does not know

where comes the river
what was its birthing
what is its being, what has it been

where goes the river
where does it journey
where is it flowing, where does it flow

not from the mountains
not from the heavens
not from the sifting snow, not from the rain

not to the meadows
not to the oceans
not to the placid pools, not to the streams

the river brings healing
brings feeling, brings weeping
easing of consciousness, easing of pain

the river brings soothing
brings smoothing, brings sleeping
flowing through dreamlessness, flowing through dreams

wide is its flowing
its knowing, its seeing
far is its vision, far is its sight

deep is its turning
its yearning, its being
broad is its compassing, broad is its scope

the river comes bubbling
untroubling, comes madly
swirling in sunshine, swirling in light

the river comes singing
upspringing, comes gladly
rising in joyousness, rising in hope

the soul is the river
life-liver forever
ever its being, ever has been

the soul is the river
life-giver forever
flowing within us, flowing within


Scheme AxB Axc adb aec ffg xfh ddg ddh ddi ddj dei dej Aab AaB
Poetic Form
Metre 11010 10011 100111001 11010 11111 111111111 11010 11110 111101111 11010 11110 111101111 11010 11010 1101011101 1101 11010 1101011101 010110 110110 1011001011 010110 110110 10111011 11110 110110 111101111 11110 110110 11111111 0101100 1110 10011001 010110 1110 10011001 011010 110010 101101011 011010 110010 100111001
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,147
Words 207
Sentences 1
Stanzas 14
Stanza Lengths 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Lines Amount 42
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 69
Words per stanza (avg) 15
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Submitted on May 01, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:02 min read
1

Stephen Colley

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