Analysis of The Valse
Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906
When to sweet music my lady is dancing
My heart to mild frenzy her beauty inspires.
Into my face are her brown eyes a-glancing,
And swift my whole frame thrills with tremulous fires.
Dance, lady, dance, for the moments are fleeting,
Pause not to place yon refractory curl;
Life is for love and the night is for sweeting;
Dreamily, joyously, circle and whirl.
Oh, how those viols are throbbing and pleading;
A prayer is scarce needed in sound of their strain.
Surely and lightly as round you are speeding,
You turn to confusion my heart and my brain.
Dance, lady, dance to the viol's soft calling,
Skip it and trip it as light as the air;
Dance, for the moments like rose leaves are falling,
Strikes, now, the clock from its place on the stair.
Now sinks the melody lower and lower,
The weary musicians scarce seeming to play.
Ah, love, your steps now are slower and slower,
The smile on your face is more sad and less gay.
Dance, lady, dance to the brink of our parting,
My heart and your step must not fail to be light.
Dance! Just a turn--tho' the tear-drop be starting.
Ah--now it is done--so--my lady, good-night!
Scheme | AXAXABAB ACACADAD EFEFAGAG |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11110110110 11111001001 01111011010 011111110010 11011010110 1111101001 11110011110 111001 1111110010 01111001111 10010111110 11101011011 1101101110 1101111101 11010111110 1101111101 11010010010 01001011011 11111110010 01111111011 110110111010 11011111111 11011011110 11111111011 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,102 |
Words | 205 |
Sentences | 13 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 36 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 287 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 68 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:01 min read
- 74 Views
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"The Valse" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/28958/the-valse>.
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