Analysis of Love Will Wane

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



When your love begins to wane,
 Spare me from the cruel pain
Of all speech that tells me so -
 Spare me words, for I shall know,

By the half-averted eyes,
 By the breast that no more sighs
By the rapture I shall miss
 From your strangely-altered kiss;

By the arms that still enfold
 But have lost their clinging hold,
And, too willing, let me go,
 I shall know, love, I shall know.

Bitter will the knowledge be,
 Bitterer than death to me.
Yet, 'twill come to me some day,
 For it is sad world's way.

Make no vows - vows cannot bind
 Changing hearts of wayward mind.
Men grow weary of a bliss
 Passionate and fond as this.

Love will wane.  But I shall know,
 If you do not tell me so.
Know it, tho' you smile and say,
 That you love me more each day.

Know it by the inner sight
 That forever sees aright.
Words could not but increase my woe,
 And without them, I shall know.


Scheme AABB CCDD EEBB FFGG HHDD BBGG XEBB
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 1110111 1110101 1111111 1111111 1010101 1011111 1010111 1110101 1011101 1111101 0110111 1111111 1010101 11111 1111111 111111 1111101 1011101 1110101 1000111 1111111 1111111 1111101 1111111 1110101 101011 11110111 0011111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 866
Words 172
Sentences 11
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 28
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 93
Words per stanza (avg) 24
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

51 sec read
71

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. more…

All Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems | Ella Wheeler Wilcox Books

2 fans

Discuss this Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Love Will Wane" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/10700/love-will-wane>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    30
    days
    20
    hours
    59
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Do not go gentle into that good _______. Rage, rage against the dying of the light
    A night
    B fire
    C day
    D end