Analysis of To A Departing Favorite

George Moses Horton 1779 (North Carolina) – 1883



Thou mayst retire, but think of me
When thou art gone afar,
Where'er in life thy travels be,
If tost along the brackish sea,
Or borne upon the car.

Thou mayst retire, I care not where,
Thy name my theme shall be;
With thee in heart I shall be there,
Content thy good or ill to share,
If dead to lodge with thee.

Thou mayst retire beyond the deep,
And leave thy sister train,
To roam the wilds where dangers sleep,
And leave affection sad to weep
In bitterness and pain.

Thou mayst retire, and yet be glad
To leave me thus alone,
Lamenting and bewailing sad;
Farewell, thy sunk deluded lad
May rise when thou art gone.


Scheme ABAAB CACCA DEDDE FXFFX
Poetic Form Etheree  (35%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 11011111 111101 10011101 11010101 110101 11011111 111111 11011111 10111111 111111 11010101 011101 11011101 01010111 010001 11010111 111101 010011 1110101 111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 624
Words 120
Sentences 5
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 5
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 120
Words per stanza (avg) 30
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
22

George Moses Horton

George Moses Horton was an African-American poet and the first African American poet to be published in the Southern United States. His book was published in 1828 while he was still a slave; he remained a slave until he was emancipated late in the Civil War. more…

All George Moses Horton poems | George Moses Horton Books

0 fans

Discuss this George Moses Horton poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "To A Departing Favorite" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/15769/to-a-departing-favorite>.

    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.
    29
    days
    0
    hours
    30
    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?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "Ozymandias"?
    A Rainer Maria Rilke
    B Rudyard Kipling
    C William Wordsworth
    D Percy Bysshe Shelley