Analysis of Spring
Samuel Johnson 1709 (Lichfield) – 1784 (London)
Stern Winter now, by Spring repress'd
Forbears the long-continued strife;
And Nature, on her naked breast,
Delights to catch the gales of life.
Now o'er the rural kingdom roves,
Soft pleasures with her laughing train,
Love warbles in the vocal groves,
And vegetation plants the plain.
Unhappy! whom to beds of pain
Arthritic tyranny consigns;
Whom smiling Nature courts in vain,
Though rapture sings and beauty shines.
Yet though my limbs disease invades,
Her wings imagination tries,
And bears me to the peaceful shades,
Where ---- 's humble turrets rise.
Here let me through the vales pursue,
A guide - a father - and a friend,
Once more great Nature's works renew,
Once more on Wisdom's voice attend.
From false caresses, causeless strife,
Wild hope, vain fear, alike removed;
Here let me learn the use of life,
When best enjoy'd - when most improved.
Teach me, thou venerable bower,
Cool meditation's quiet seat,
The generous scorn of venal power,
The silent grandeur of retreat.
When pride by guilt to greatness climbs,
Or raging factions rush to war,
Here let me learn to shun the crimes
I can't prevent and will not share.
But lest I fall by subtler foes,
Bright wisdom teach me Curio's art,
The swelling passions to compose,
And quell the rebels of the heart.
Scheme | ABAB CDCD DCDC CCCC CEXE BFBF GHGH CXCX CICI |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (89%) |
Metre | 11011101 1010101 01010101 01110111 110010101 11010101 11000101 0010101 01011111 0101001 11010101 11010101 11110101 0100101 01110101 1110101 11110101 01010001 11110101 1111101 1101011 11110101 11110111 11011101 111100010 11101 0100111010 01001101 11111101 11010111 11111101 11010111 111111001 1101111 01010101 01010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,241 |
Words | 219 |
Sentences | 11 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 36 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 110 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 24 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 27, 2023
- 1:08 min read
- 84 Views
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"Spring" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/34195/spring>.
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