Analysis of The Crown Of Life

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



THE days, the doubts, the dreams of pain
Are over, not to come again,
And from the menace of the night
Has dawned the day-star of delight:
My baby lies against me pressed--
Thus, Mother of God, are mothers blessed!

His little head upon my arm,
His little body soft and warm,
His little feet that cannot stand
Held in the heart of this, my hand.
His little mouth close on my breast--
Thus, Mary's Son, are mothers blessed.

All dreams of deeds, all deeds of day
Are very faint and far away,
Yet you some day will stand upright
And fight God's foes, in manhood's might,
You--tiny, worshipped, clasped, caressed--
Thus, Mother of God, are mothers blessed.

Whatever grief may come to be
This hour divine goes on for me.
All glorious is my little span,
Since I, like God, have made a man,
A little image of God's best--
Thus, Mary's Son, are mothers blessed.

Come change, come loss, come worlds of tears,
Come endless chain of empty years;
They cannot take away the hour
That gives me You--my bird, my flower!
Thank God for this! Leave God the rest!--
Thus, Mother of God, are mothers blessed.


Scheme xxaabB xxccbB ddaabB eeffbB xxggbB
Poetic Form Etheree  (37%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 01010111 11011101 01010101 11011101 11010111 110111101 11010111 11010101 11011101 10011111 11011111 11011101 11111111 11010101 11111101 0111011 11010101 110111101 1011111 110011111 110011101 11111101 01010111 11011101 11111111 11011101 110101010 111111110 11111101 110111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,095
Words 202
Sentences 11
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 30
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 165
Words per stanza (avg) 40
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:02 min read
97

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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