Analysis of The Lapse
Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906
This poem must be done to-day;
Then, I 'll e'en to it.
I must not dream my time away,--
I 'm sure to rue it.
The day is rather bright, I know
The Muse will pardon
My half-defection, if I go
Into the garden.
It must be better working there,--
I 'm sure it's sweeter:
And something in the balmy air
May clear my metre.
Ah this is noble, what a sky!
What breezes blowing!
The very clouds, I know not why,
Call one to rowing.
The stream will be a paradise
To-day, I 'll warrant.
I know the tide that's on the rise
Will seem a torrent;
I know just how the leafy boughs
Are all a-quiver;
I know how many skiffs and scows
Are on the river.
I think I 'll just go out awhile
Before I write it;
When Nature shows us such a smile,
We should n't slight it.
For Nature always makes desire
By giving pleasure;
And so 't will help me put more fire
Into my measure.
The river's fine, I 'm glad I came,
That poem 's teasing;
But health is better far than fame,
Though cheques are pleasing.
I don't know what I did it for,--
This air 's a poppy.
I 'm sorry for my editor,--
He 'll get no copy!
Scheme | ABABCDCDEFEFGHGHIJKJLFIFMBMBFFFFNHNHOPFP |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (30%) Tetractys (25%) |
Metre | 11011111 1111111 11111101 111111 01110111 01110 11010111 01010 11110101 111110 01000101 11110 11110101 11010 01011111 11110 0111010 111110 11011101 11010 11110101 11010 11110101 11010 111111101 01111 11011101 111111 11011010 11010 0111111110 01110 010111111 110110 11110111 11110 11111111 111010 111011100 111110 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,044 |
Words | 226 |
Sentences | 15 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 40 |
Lines Amount | 40 |
Letters per line (avg) | 20 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 791 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 220 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:09 min read
- 64 Views
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"The Lapse" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/28907/the-lapse>.
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