Analysis of To A Young Lady, Who Was Fond Of Fortune-Telling
Matthew Prior 1664 – 1721
You, Madam, may, with safety go
Decrees of destiny to know;
For at your birth kind planets reign'd,
And certain happiness ordain'd:
Such charms as yours are only given
To chosen favourites of Heaven.
But such is my uncertain state
'Tis dangerous to try my fate;
For I would only know from art
The future motions of your hert,
And what predestinated doom
Attends my love for years to come,
No secrets else that mortals learn
My cares deserve, or life concern;
But this will so important be
I dread to search the dark decree;
For while the smallest hope remains
Faint joys are mingled with my pains.
Vain distant views my fancy please,
And give some intermitting ease;
But should the stars too plainly show
That you have doom'd my endless wo,
No human force or art could bear
The torment of my wild despair.
This secret then I dare not know,
And other truths are useless now.
What matters if, unbless'd in love,
How long or short my life will prove?
To gratify what low desire
Should I with needless haste inquire,
How great how wealthy I shall be?
Oh, what is wealth or power to me!
If I am happy or undone,
It must proceed from you alone.
Scheme | AABBCCDDEFGHIIJJKKLLAAMMANOPQRJJCS |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11011101 01110011 11111101 01010001 111111010 1101110 11110101 11001111 11110111 01010111 0111 01111111 11011101 11011101 11110101 11110101 11010101 11110111 11011101 01111 11011101 11111101 11011111 0111101 11011111 01011101 1101101 11111111 11011010 11110101 11110111 111111011 11110101 11011101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,114 |
Words | 213 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 34 |
Lines Amount | 34 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 894 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 211 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:05 min read
- 87 Views
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