Analysis of The Thracian

William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)



Thracian parents, at his birth,
Mourn their babe with many a tear,
But, with undissembled mirth,
Place him breathless on his bier.

Greece and Rome, with equal score,
'O the savages!' exclaim,
'Whether they rejoice or mourn,
Well entitled to the name!'

But the cause of this concern
And this pleasure would they trace,
Even they might somewhat learn
From the savages of Thrace.


Scheme AXAX XBXB CDCD
Poetic Form Quatrain  (67%)
Metre 110111 11111001 1111 1110111 1011101 1010001 1010111 1010101 1011101 0110111 1011111 1010011
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 373
Words 68
Sentences 5
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 12
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 98
Words per stanza (avg) 21
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

19 sec read
374

William Cowper

William Macquarie Cowper was an Australian Anglican archdeacon and Dean of Sydney. more…

All William Cowper poems | William Cowper Books

2 fans

Discuss this William Cowper poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Thracian" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/40197/the-thracian>.

    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!

    June 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    18
    days
    19
    hours
    45
    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 figure of speech that compares two unlike things using "like" or "as" is called a _______.
    A simile
    B personification
    C metaphor
    D hyperbole