Analysis of The Kiss

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



The snow is white on wood and wold,
The wind is in the firs,
So dead my heart is with the cold,
No pulse within it stirs,
Even to see your face, my dear,
Your face that was my sun;
There is no spring this bitter year,
And summer's dreams are done.

The snakes that lie about my heart
Are in their wintry sleep;
Their fangs no more deal sting and smart,
No more they curl and creep.
Love with the summer ceased to be;
The frost is firm and fast.
God keep the summer far from me,
And let the snakes' sleep last!

Touch of your hand could not suffice
To waken them once more;
Nor could the sunshine of your eyes
A ruined spring restore.
But ah-your lips! You know the rest:
The snows are summer rain,
My eyes are wet, and in my breast
The snakes' fangs meet again.


Scheme ABABCDCD EFEFGHGH XIXIJXJX
Poetic Form
Metre 01111101 011001 11111101 110111 10111111 111111 11111101 010111 01110111 101101 11111101 111101 11010111 011101 11010111 010111 11111101 110111 1101111 010101 11111101 011101 11110011 011101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 744
Words 154
Sentences 8
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 194
Words per stanza (avg) 51
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

46 sec read
167

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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