The Figure-Head
Herman Melville 1819 – 1891
The _Charles-and-Emma_ seaward sped,
(Named from the carven pair at prow,)
He so smart, and a curly head,
She tricked forth as a bride knows how:
Pretty stem for the port, I trow!
But iron-rust and alum-spray
And chafing gear, and sun and dew
Vexed this lad and lassie gay,
Tears in their eyes, salt tears nor few;
And the hug relaxed with the failing glue.
But came in end a dismal night,
With creaking beams and ribs that groan,
A black lee-shore and waters white:
Dropped on the reef, the pair lie prone:
O, the breakers dance, but the winds they
moan!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 31 sec read
- 64 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABX CDCDD EFEFCF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 548 |
Words | 106 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 6 |
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"The Figure-Head" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/19112/the-figure-head>.
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