Analysis of Ben Nevis: A Dialogue
John Keats 1795 (Moorgate) – 1821 (Rome)
There was one Mrs. Cameron of 50 years of age and the fattest woman in all Inverness-shire who got up this Mountain some few years ago -- true she had her servants -- but then she had her self. She ought to have hired Sisyphus, -- 'Up the high hill he heaves a huge round -- Mrs. Cameron.' 'Tis said a little conversation took place between the mountain and the Lady. After taking a glass of W[h]iskey as she was tolerably seated at ease she thus began --
Mrs. C.
Upon my Life Sir Nevis I am pique'd
That I have so far panted tugg'd and reek'd
To do an honour to your old bald pate
And now am sitting on you just to bate,
Without your paying me one compliment.
Alas 'tis so with all, when our intent
Is plain, and in the eye of all Mankind
We fair ones show a preference, too blind!
You Gentle man immediately turn tail --
O let me then my hapless fate bewail!
Ungrateful Baldpate have I not disdain'd
The pleasant Valleys -- have I not madbrain'd
Deserted all my Pickles and preserves
My China closet too -- with wretched Nerves
To boot -- say wretched ingrate have I not
Le[f]t my soft cushion chair and caudle pot.
'Tis true I had no corns -- no! thank the fates
My Shoemaker was always Mr. Bates.
And if not Mr. Bates why I'm not old!
Still dumb ungrateful Nevis -- still so cold!
Here the Lady took some more w[h]iskey and was putting even more to her lips when she dashed [it] to the Ground for the Mountain began to grumble -- which continued for a few minutes before he thus began,
Ben Nevis.
What whining bit of tongue and Mouth thus dares
Disturb my slumber of a thousand years?
Even so long my sleep has been secure --
And to be so awakened I'll not endure.
Oh pain -- for since the Eagle's earliest scream
I've had a dam[n]'d confounded ugly dream,
A Nightmare sure. What Madam was it you?
It cannot be! My old eyes are not true!
Red-Crag, my Spectacles! Now let me see!
Good Heavens Lady how the gemini
Did you get here? O I shall split my sides!
I shall earthquake -----
Mrs. C.
Sweet Nevis do not quake, for though I love
You[r] honest Countenance all things above
Truly I should not like to be convey'd
So far into your Bosom -- gentle Maid
Loves not too rough a treatment gentle Sir --
Pray thee be calm and do not quake nor stir
No not a Stone or I shall go in fits--
Ben Nevis.
I must -- I shall -- I meet not such tid bits --
I meet not such sweet creatures every day --
By my old night cap night cap night and day
I must have one sweet Buss -- I must and shall:
Red Crag! -- What Madam can you then repent
Of all the toil and vigour you have spent
To see Ben Nevis and to touch his nose?
Red Crag I say! O I must have them close!
Red Crag, there lies beneath my farthest toe
A vein of Sulphur -- go dear Red Crag, go--
And rub your flinty back against it -- budge!
Dear Madam I must kiss you, faith I must!
I must Embrace you with my dearest gust!
Block-head, d'ye hear -- Block-head I'll make her feel
There lies beneath my east leg's northern heel
A cave of young earth dragons -- well my boy
Go thither quick and so complete my joy
Take you a bundle of the largest pines
And when the sun on fiercest Phosphor shines
Fire them and ram them in the Dragon's nest --
Then will the dragons fry and fizz their best
Until ten thousand now no bigger than
Poor Al[l]igators -- poor things of one span --
Will each one swell to twice ten times the size
Of northern whale -- then for the tender prize --
The moment then -- for then will Red Crag rub
His flinty back -- and I shall kiss and snub
And press my dainty morsel to my breast.
Block-head make haste!
O Muses weep the rest --
The Lady fainted and he thought her dead
So pulled the clouds again about his head
And went to sleep again -- soon she was rous'd
By her affrighted servants -- next day hous'd
Safe on the lowly ground she bless'd her fate
That fainting fit was not delayed too late.
But what surprises me above all is how this Lady got down again.
Scheme | a Bccccccccddcceeccffcc a Gxxhhiijjbxxx Bkkccllm Gmccxccxxcxxccnnooppccaaqqrrccccccccc x |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111010011110010100110111111011101111010111101111110110111101110100110100101101010001010100111111110111101 101 0111110111 1111110101 111111111 0111011111 0111011100 01111111001 1100011111 1111010011 11010100011 111111011 010111101 010101111 0101110001 1101011101 111101111 1111010101 1111111101 11011101 0111011111 1101010111 1010111101101011011111101101001110101010110011101 110 1101110111 0111010101 1011111101 01110101101 11110101001 1101010101 011110111 1101111111 1111001111 110101010 1111111111 111 101 1101111111 1101001101 1011111101 1101110101 1111010101 1111011111 1101111101 110 1111111111 11111101001 1111111101 1111111101 1111011101 110101111 1111001111 1111111111 1111011101 0111011111 0111010111 1101111111 1101111101 11111111101 1101111101 0111110111 111010111 1101010101 010111011 10101100101 1101010111 0111011101 1111111 1111111101 1101110101 0101111111 1101011101 0111010111 1111 110101 0101001101 1101010111 0111011111 10110111 1101011101 1101110111 110101011111101101 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 3,864 |
Words | 782 |
Sentences | 43 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 21, 1, 13, 8, 37, 1 |
Lines Amount | 82 |
Letters per line (avg) | 36 |
Words per line (avg) | 10 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 426 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 111 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 11, 2023
- 3:59 min read
- 88 Views
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"Ben Nevis: A Dialogue" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/23342/ben-nevis%3A-a-dialogue>.
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