Analysis of To Lydia

Eugene Field 1850 (St. Louis) – 1895 (Chicago)



When, Lydia, you (once fond and true,
But now grown cold and supercilious)
Praise Telly's charms of neck and arms--
Well, by the dog! it makes me bilious!

Then with despite my cheeks wax white,
My doddering brain gets weak and giddy,
My eyes o'erflow with tears which show
That passion melts my vitals, Liddy!

Deny, false jade, your escapade,
And, lo! your wounded shoulders show it!
No manly spark left such a mark--
Leastwise he surely was no poet!

With savage buss did Telephus
Abraid your lips, so plump and mellow;
As you would save what Venus gave,
I charge you shun that awkward fellow!

And now I say thrice happy they
That call on Hymen to requite 'em;
For, though love cools, the wedded fools
Must cleave till death doth disunite 'em.


Scheme XAXA XBCB XXXX ACXC XDXD
Poetic Form Quatrain  (80%)
Etheree  (30%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 110011101 111100100 1111101 1101111100 11011111 1100111010 1111111 11011110 0111110 011101011 11011101 11101110 110111 11111010 11111101 111111010 01111101 11110111 11110101 1111111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 732
Words 136
Sentences 9
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 29
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 115
Words per stanza (avg) 27
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

41 sec read
61

Eugene Field

Eugene Field, Sr. was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays. more…

All Eugene Field poems | Eugene Field Books

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