Analysis of Mary
John Boyle O'Reilly 1844 (Dowth) – 1890 (Boston)
DEAR honored name, beloved for human ties,
But loved and honored first that One was given
In living proof to erring mortal eyes
That our poor earth is near akin to heaven.
Sweet word of dual meaning: one of grace,
And born of our kind advocate above;
And one by memory linked to that dear face
That blessed my childhood with its mother-love,
And taught me first the simple prayer, 'To thee,
Poor banished sons of Eve, we send our cries.'
Through mist of years, those words recall to me
A childish face upturned to loving eyes.
And yet to some the name of Mary bears
No special meaning and no gracious power;
In that dear word they seek for hidden snares,
As wasps find poison in the sweetest flower.
But faithful hearts can see, o'er doubts and fears,
The Virgin link that binds the Lord to earth;
Which to the upturned trusting face appears
A more than angel, though of human birth.
The sweet-faced moon reflects on cheerless night
The rays of hidden sun to rise to-morrow;
So unseen God still lets His promised light,
Through holy Mary, shine upon our sorrow.
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EAEA FGFG HIHI JKJK |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain |
Metre | 1101011101 11010111110 0101110101 110111101110 1111010111 01110110001 01110011111 111111101 0111010111 11011111101 111111111 010111101 0111011101 11010011010 0111111101 11110001010 11011110101 0101110111 110110101 0111011101 011101111 01110111110 1011111101 110101011010 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,068 |
Words | 196 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 140 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 32 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 58 sec read
- 44 Views
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"Mary" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/22025/mary>.
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