Analysis of Lilian



I
  Airy, Fairy Lilian,
  Flitting, fairy Lilian,
When I ask her if she love me,
Claps her tiny hands above me,
    Laughing all she can;
She 'll not tell me if she love me,
    Cruel little Lilian.

II
        When my passion seeks
        Pleasance in love-sighs,
    She, looking thro' and thro' me
    Thoroughly to undo me,
        Smiling, never speaks:
So innocent-arch, so cunning-simple,
From beneath her gathered wimple
  Glancing with black-bearded eyes,
Till the lightning laughters dimple
        The baby-roses in her cheeks;
        Then away she flies.

III
  Prythee weep, May Lilian!
    Gaiety without eclipse
  Whearieth me, May Lilian;
Thro' my every heart it thrilleth
  When from crimson-threaded lips
Silver-treble laughter trilleth:
  Prythee weep, May Lilian!

IV
      Praying all I can,
If prayers will not hush thee,
      Airy Lilian,
Like a rose-leaf I will crush thee,
      Fairy Lilian.


Scheme abbccdcb aefcceggfgef aBhbihiB xdcbcb
Poetic Form
Metre 1 1010100 1010100 11101111 10101011 10111 111111111 1010100 1 11101 1011 1101011 1001011 10101 1100111010 1010101 1011101 1010110 01010001 10111 1 111100 10101 111100 11100111 1110101 1010101 111100 1 10111 111111 10100 10111111 10100
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 934
Words 138
Sentences 6
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 8, 12, 8, 6
Lines Amount 34
Letters per line (avg) 19
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 162
Words per stanza (avg) 34
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 21, 2023

41 sec read
119

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular British poets.  more…

All Alfred Lord Tennyson poems | Alfred Lord Tennyson Books

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