Analysis of The Claim

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



OH! I admit I'm dull and poor,
And plain and gloomy, as you tell me;
And dozens flock around your door
Who in all points but one excel me.

You smile on them, on me you frown,
They worship for the wage you pay;
I lay life, love, and honour down
For you to walk on every day.

I am the only one who sees
That though such gifts can never move you,
A meagre price are gifts like these
For life's high privilege--to love you.

I am the one among your train
Who sees that loving you is worth
A thousand times the certain gain
Of all the heaped-up joys of earth.

And you, who know as well as I,
What your glass tells you every morning--
A kindred soul you should descry,
Dilute with sympathy your scorning.

At least you should approve the intense
Love that gives all for you to waste;
Your other lovers have more sense,
Admit that I have better taste.


Scheme ABXB CDCD EFEF GHGH XIAI JKJK
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 11011101 010101111 01010111 101111011 11111111 11010111 1111011 111111001 11010111 111111011 0111111 11110111 11010111 11110111 01010101 11011111 01111111 1111110010 0101111 01110011 111101001 11111111 11010111 01111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 850
Words 168
Sentences 8
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 108
Words per stanza (avg) 28
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

51 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

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

    "The Claim" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/8935/the-claim>.

    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.
    2
    days
    0
    hours
    13
    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?

    »
    Who wrote the poem 'My Shadow'?
    A Maya Angelou
    B Robert Louis Stevenson
    C Sylvia Plath
    D Edgar Allan Poe