Analysis of Wistful
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
Oh how I'd be gay and glad
If a little house I had,
Snuggled in a shady lot,
With behind a garden plot;
Simple grub, old duds to wear,
A book, a pipe, a rocking-chair . . .
You would never hear me grouse
If I had a little house.
Oh if I had just enough
Dough to buy the needful stuff;
Milk and porridge, toast and tea,
How contented I would be!
You could have your cake and wine,
I on cabbage soup would dine,
Joking to the journey's end -
Had I just enough to spend.
Oh had I no boss to please
I'd give thanks on bended knees;
Could I to myself belong,
I would fill the day with song.
Freedom's crust is sweeter far
Than control and caviar;
How my ragged hat I'd toss
If I didn't have a boss.
So you may see my point of view,
But there's nothing I can do;
Oh the weariness of work,
Duties that I may not shirk.
Though simplicity I crave
I must go down to my grave,
Bossed by bullion, crossed by care -
Just a poor damn millionaire.
Scheme | AABBCCDD EEFFGGHH IIJJKKXX LLMMNNCC |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111101 1010111 100101 1010101 1011111 01010101 1110111 1110101 1111101 1110101 1010101 1010111 1111101 1110111 101011 1110111 1111111 1111101 111101 1110111 1011101 101010 1110111 1110101 11111111 1110111 1010011 1011111 1010011 1111111 1110111 101101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 909 |
Words | 191 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 32 |
Letters per line (avg) | 22 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 175 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 48 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 04, 2023
- 59 sec read
- 105 Views
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"Wistful" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/32755/wistful>.
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