Analysis of Poem 1

Edmund Spenser 1552 (London) – 1599 (London)



YE learned sisters which haue oftentimes
beene to me ayding, others to adorne:
Whom ye thought worthy of your gracefull rymes,
That euen the greatest did not greatly scorne
To heare theyr names sung in your simply layes,
But ioyed in theyr prayse.
And when ye lift your owne mishaps to mourne,
Which death, or loue, or fortunes wreck did rayse,
Your string could soone to sadder tenor turne,
And teach the woods and waters to lament
Your dolefull dreriment.
Now lay those sorrowfull complaints aside,
And hauing all your heads with girland crownd,
Helpe me mine owne loues prayses to resound,
Ne let the same of any be enuide,
So Orpheus did for his owne bride,
So I vnto my selfe alone will sing,
The woods shall to me answer and my Eccho ring.


Scheme ABABAABABCCDCECDFF
Poetic Form
Metre 11101110 11111011 111101111 1101011101 1111101101 11011 011111111 1111110111 1111110101 0101010101 111 11110101 01111111 11111111 110111011 110011111 111110111 01111100111
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 736
Words 137
Sentences 4
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 18
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 593
Words per stanza (avg) 135
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

41 sec read
101

Edmund Spenser

Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. more…

All Edmund Spenser poems | Edmund Spenser Books

2 fans

Discuss this Edmund Spenser poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Poem 1" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/9165/poem-1>.

    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.
    1
    day
    5
    hours
    35
    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?

    »
    A brief and intentional reference to a historical, mythological, or literary person, place, event, or movement is called a _______.
    A metaphor
    B simile
    C hyperbole
    D allusion