Analysis of The Two Loves
John Greenleaf Whittier 1807 (Haverhill) – 1892 (Hampton Falls)
Smoothing soft the nestling head
Of a maiden fancy-led,
Thus a grave-eyed woman said:
'Richest gifts are those we make,
Dearer than the love we take
That we give for love's own sake.
'Well I know the heart's unrest;
Mine has been the common quest,
To be loved and therefore blest.
'Favors undeserved were mine;
At my feet as on a shrine
Love has laid its gifts divine.
'Sweet the offerings seemed, and yet
With their sweetness came regret,
And a sense of unpaid debt.
'Heart of mine unsatisfied,
Was it vanity or pride
That a deeper joy denied?
'Hands that ope but to receive
Empty close; they only live
Richly who can richly give.
'Still,' she sighed, with moistening eyes,
'Love is sweet in any guise;
But its best is sacrifice!
'He who, giving, does not crave
Likest is to Him who gave
Life itself the loved to save.
'Love, that self-forgetful gives,
Sows surprise of ripened sheaves,
Late or soon its own receives.'
Scheme | AAA BBB CCC DDD EEE FFF XXX GGX HHH XII |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (37%) |
Metre | 1010101 1010101 1011101 1011111 1010111 1111111 1110101 1110101 111011 100101 1111101 1111101 10100101 1110101 0011011 111010 1110011 1010101 1111101 1011101 1011101 111111 1110101 111110 1110111 111111 1010111 1110101 1011101 1111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 898 |
Words | 169 |
Sentences | 10 |
Stanzas | 10 |
Stanza Lengths | 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 |
Lines Amount | 30 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 71 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 17 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 50 sec read
- 97 Views
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