Analysis of The Wrangler

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 (Frankfurt) – 1832 (Weimar)



ONE day a shameless and impudent wight
Went into a shop full of steel wares bright,
Arranged with art upon ev'ry shelf.
He fancied they were all meant for himself;
And so, while the patient owner stood by,
The shining goods needs must handle and try,
And valued,--for how should a fool better know?--
The bad things high, and the good ones low,
And all with an easy self-satisfied face;
Then, having bought nothing, he left the place.

The tradesman now felt sorely vex'd,
So when the fellow went there next,
A lock of steel made quite red hot.
The other cried upon the spot:
"Such wares as these, who'd ever buy?
the steel is tarnish'd shamefully,"--
Then pull'd it, like a fool about,
But soon set up a piteous shout.
"Pray what's the matter?" the shopman spoke;
The other scream'd: "Faith, a very cool joke!"


Scheme AABBCCDDEE FFGGCXHHII
Poetic Form Etheree  (30%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 11010011 1010111111 01110111 1101011101 0110101011 0101111001 01011101101 011100111 0111101101 1101101101 0111101 11010111 01111111 01010101 11111101 011101 11110101 1111011 11010011 0101101011
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 799
Words 153
Sentences 9
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 10, 10
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 31
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 308
Words per stanza (avg) 73
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

47 sec read
136

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer and politician. more…

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