Analysis of Prelude

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



OUT of the west when the sun was dying
Clouds of white wings came flying, flying,
Wheeling and whirling they swept away
Into the heart of the eastern gray;
But one white dove came straight to my breast
Out of the west.

Into the west when the dawn was pearly
Clouds of white wings went, dewy-early,
Straight from the world of the waning stars;
O beating pinions! O prison bars!
My dove flies free no more with the rest
Into the west.


Scheme AABBCC DDEECC
Poetic Form
Metre 1101101110 111111010 100101101 010110101 111111111 1101 0101101110 111111010 110110101 11011101 111111101 0101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 440
Words 84
Sentences 5
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 6, 6
Lines Amount 12
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 170
Words per stanza (avg) 41
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

25 sec read
51

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

1 fan

Discuss this Edith Nesbit poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Prelude" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/8889/prelude>.

    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.
    3
    days
    4
    hours
    40
    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?

    »
    I wandered lonely as a _______ that floats on high o'er vales and hills
    A bird
    B star
    C cloud
    D flower