Analysis of The Way Of The Wood

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



WHERE baby oaks play in the breeze
Among wood-sorrel and fringed fern,
Through the green garments of the trees
The quivering shafts of sunlight burn,

And all along the wet green ride
The dripping hazel-boughs between,
The spotted orchis, stiff with pride,
Stands guard before the eglantine.

Sweet chestnuts droop their long, sharp leaves
By knotted tree roots, mossed and brown,
Round which the honeysuckle weaves
Its scented golden wild-wood crown.

O wood, last year you saw us meet,
For her your leaves and buds were gay,
Your moss spread velvet for her feet.
Your flowers upon her bosom lay.

This year you wear your raiment bright,
As fair as ever yet you wore.
And, none the less, the world's delight
Walks in your ways no more, no more.


Scheme ABAB CXCX DEDE FGFG HIHI
Poetic Form Quatrain  (80%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Etheree  (20%)
Metre 11011001 01110011 10110101 01001111 01010111 01010101 0101111 1101010 11011111 11011101 1101001 11010111 11111111 10110101 11110101 110010101 1111111 11110111 01010101 10111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 749
Words 131
Sentences 7
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 29
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 118
Words per stanza (avg) 26
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

39 sec read
83

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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