Analysis of Indiscretion

Edith Nesbit 1858 (Kennington, Surrey ) – 1924 (New Romney, Kent)



RED tulip-buds last night caressed
The sacred ivory of her breast.
She met me, eager to divine
What gold-heart bud of hope was mine.

Nor eyes nor lips were strong to part
The close-curled petals round my heart;
The joy I knew no monarch knows,
Yet not a petal would unclose.

But, ah!--the tulip-buds, unwise,
Warmed with the sunshine of her eyes,
And by her soft breath glorified
Went mad with love and opened wide.

She saw their hearts, all golden-gay,
Laughed, frowned, and flung the flowers away.
Poor flowers, in Heaven as you were,
Why did you show your hearts to her?


Scheme AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 11011101 010100101 11110101 11111111 11110111 01110111 0111111 1101011 11010101 1101101 0101110 11110101 11111101 110101001 110010110 11111110
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 581
Words 106
Sentences 8
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 111
Words per stanza (avg) 26
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

31 sec read
59

Edith Nesbit

Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland) was an English author and poet; she published her books for children under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 books of children's literature. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later affiliated to the Labour Party. more…

All Edith Nesbit poems | Edith Nesbit Books

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